Firefighters were called to a large fire in a field in Dorset.

Two fire engines from Sherborne Fire Station were called to the fire on the outskirts of Milborne Port, next to Sherborne, just before 10:00pm on Saturday (September 12).

Crews located a large fire out in the open and liaised with one of the property owners.

The incident commander decided that for safety reasons, to prevent the fire spreading uncontrollably, that the surrounding area be cooled and damped down.

Image source: Sherborne Fire Station

Firefighters used a hose reel jet to dampen down the area and prevent any fire spread.

The incident was handed over to a responsible person to monitor through the night.

6,000 chickens killed in farm fire

In other farm-related news, around 6,000 chickens have been killed in an overnight fire at a farm in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said the blaze ripped through a large farm shed on the Crosscavanagh Road in Dungannon on Sunday night (September 13).

Firefighters brought the fire under control using eight fire appliances and six crews. It took crews almost four hours to deal with the ignition, the NIFRS said.

A spokesperson for the NIFRS added: “At 10:37pm on Sunday, firefighters were called to a fire involving a large farm shed.

Eight appliances from Dungannon Fire Station, Pomeroy Fire Station, Cookstown Fire Station, Portadown Fire Station, Lisburn Fire Station and Dungiven Fire Station attended the incident including an aerial appliance, a water tanker and a command support unit.

“Firefighters worked hard in challenging conditions to prevent the fire spreading and used three jets to extinguish the blaze. Approximately 6,000 chickens were killed in the incident.

“The cause of the fire is believed to have been accidental ignition and the incident was dealt with by 2:33am on Monday, September 14.”