Firefighters have been battling a barn fire in Devon overnight, with the building packed with straw, grain and agricultural machinery. Neighbours have been warned to keep their windows and doors closed because of the smoke.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service announced just after midnight on Monday, August 31, that it was dealing with the blaze at a barn in Westleigh, in North Devon. Fire chiefs have not confirmed how many crews are at the scene.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the service said the barn was fully involved in fire and warned neighbours to take action. The post, published at 12:07am, read: “We are currently attending a barn fire at Westleigh. The building, containing straw, grain and agricultural machinery, is fully involved in fire.
“Please keep your windows and doors closed if you live nearby due to the smoke.”
More details, such as the exact location of the fire and when crews were first called, were not available at the time of writing.
Westleigh, a village of just 350, is around two miles north of the section of Bideford east of the River Torridge. It is around nine miles south west of Barnstaple, the administrative capital of North Devon and its largest town.
Overnight Barn Fire in Devon Involves Straw, Grain and Machinery