09 Jul 2012
An agricultural shed in a Devon farm was the scene of a fire which threatened to ignite gas cylinders.
The blaze was at Holwell Farm in Widescombe in the south of the county on Tuesday 3rd July, and firefighters were called at 6.27am.
Fire crews from across the region reacted and quickly organised a 100m cordon around the shed, due to the danger of exploding cylinders.
Further potential danger was provided by a 5,000-litre tank of diesel and 3,000 litres of oil for cooking.
Additional support was requested to deal with the fire that affected the diesel tank and prompted fuel to escape into adjacent fields. The Environment Agency has been alerted to the situation and will address the state of the farm.
A ‘suitable and sufficient’ fire risk must be assessed on all commercial properties in England and Wales under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
If the fire risk assessment is deemed to be carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.
Copyright Press Association 2012