A large barn fire that recently took place in Park Lane, Shapwick is now being considered arson by local fire and rescue services.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue confirmed they were called to a barn fire in Park Lane, Shapwick last week.
A spokesperson for Bere Regis Fire Station said the fire which was alight throughout the night was “believed to be arson.”
In a social media post, the Bere Regis Fire Station spokesperson said that most of the crews that had attended were unable to fight the blaze ‘due to its scale’.
The spokesperson added: “We were tasked with preventing spread to nearby crops.”
The blaze was initially reported at 11:27p.m on August 1, with crews from Wimborne, Blandford, and Poole originally tackling the fire until relief crews from Christchurch arrived along with support vehicles from Ferndown and Blandford.
According to Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, the firefighters used two main lines and one hose reel jet to prevent the fire from spreading until 3:00a.m, when the incident was scaled back.
According to the spokesperson for Bere Regis Fire Station: “The owner of the farm was able to harvest the surrounding crop and mitigate spread before Christchurch Fire Station thoroughly damped down the surrounding area.”
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said its firefighters worked with local farmers to “ensure a fire break was created around the barn, further reducing the possible spread of the fire”.
The firefighters finished battling the blaze at 12:19p.m the following day (August 2), however stated that the bales would continue to burn in a controlled environment for a couple of days under the owner’s supervision.
At the time of the blaze, the fire department advised local residents to keep their windows and doors closed due to smoke in the area due to “the potential of asbestos-based materials”.
However the department reduced the risk level in the following days, but continued to advise locals with respiratory problems to take precautions.
In the same week, a separate but similar incident occurred when a barn went up in flames Llandeilo, Wales.
