Major barn blaze at Thinford, near Spennymoor, not suspicious

Six fire engines from the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue were required at the height of the blaze, at Mount Huley Farm, in Thinford, near Spennymoor, County Durham, on Monday evening.

Fire rips through the barn. Video: Matt Watterson

The aftermath of the fire. Video: Helen Russell

They were alerted to the incident just after 7.30pm.

The large flames were visible for several miles and the A167, which runs past the farm, was closed at one point due to the volume of emergency service vehicles at the scene.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said that there were more than 20 firefighters and senior officers attending the incident whilst the blaze was at its worst.
 

The aftermath of the fire. Picture: Helen Russell

Several motorists who drove past the fire before the road was closed said they could feel the heat from the flames as they passed by and expressed concern at how close the fire was to the farmhouse, which was not affected by the incident.

Two crews remained on scene overnight damping down the smouldering remains of the barn and the area was declared safe at about 10am on this morning.

All that remained of the outbuilding and its contents was a pile of burnt, damp straw.

The structure had been completely burnt to the ground and a gate into the farm was twisted and singed.

There was still a strong smell of smoke in the air today.

Although the cause of the fire is not known, the fire service said it is not being treated as suspicious.

The owners of the farm did not wish to comment on the fire.