Twelve crews were called to a large barn holding hundreds of tonnes of hay, fertiliser and farm machinery that was on fire in Podimore near Yeovil on Saturday (July 3).

Sadly, 300 tonnes of hay, 1.2 tonnes of fertiliser, a JCB tractor, a fertiliser spreader and a baler were completely destroyed in the fire.

At 3.55pm fire control received multiple calls reporting a barn on fire in Church Street.

Crews from Somerton, Yeovil and Martock were sent to this incident as well as a water carrier from Yeovil and the incident support unit from Martock.

Upon arrival crews confirmed the barn to be well alight with 300 tonnes of hay and a large amount of fertilizer involved in fire.

The fire was significant enough that it was putting neighbouring thatch properties at risk, so more crews were called from Wincanton, Castle Cary, Yeovil and Sherborne.

A second water carrier from Bridgwater was requested, together with the incident command unit from Street and the welfare unit from Burnham-on-Sea.

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By 10.17pm the crews were scaled back, leaving two fire engines and a water bowser on the scene, with ground monitors used to prevent the fire spreading and cool the remaining fertiliser.

The wife of the farmer who owns the barn thanked the firefighters for their help and she also clarified the placement of the fertiliser.

Tors Board wrote on Facebook: "Thank you to all of the fire crews involved in helping yesterday.

"It was a horrible day made slightly better by the fact no animals were involved.

"Just to clarify the fertilisers are stored in a different location to the hay and straw shed, however my husband was applying fertiliser yesterday morning and was loading the spreader by the shed which is why there were two bags left in the vicinity."