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24
Oct
Pigs and sheep died in huge barn fire at Allerton Park farm, owner says
Farm animals were killed in a major fire which completely gutted a barn near Knaresborough this week.
Eight fire engines responded to the blaze at Allerton Grange Farm, alongside the A168 at Allerton Park, shortly before 11pm on Tuesday (October 22).
Police closed the A168 while firefighters battled to extinguish the fire and protect nearby buildings.
The fire was still burning when the Stray Ferret visited the scene at around midday yesterday.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said on Wednesday there were no reports of injuries to animals.
However, farm owner Simon Armstrong yesterday told the Stray Ferret:
Animals have been killed. Pigs, sheep and lambs. I couldn’t say how many at this stage. It's horrible.
Mr Armstrong said some sheep and lambs perished in the blaze, while others had to be put down later after being checked by a vet.
Some pigs also died from smoke inhalation yesterday morning, he added.
He told the Stray Ferret the barn stored thousands of hay and straw bales, and he believes the damage caused will be worth “several hundred thousand”.
Mr Armstrong's son, George, told the Stray Ferret he discovered the fire late on Tuesday night.
George told us he had just shut the farm gates and “everything was fine”. Fifteen minutes later, he received a call notifying him of the blaze.
He said:
I walked out to a blaze. It went from nothing to being fully engulfed by flames.
The now-destroyed barn is just metres from the A168.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, the fire service said yesterday.
We will update our coverage as more information becomes available.
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