Multiple fire crews tackle 'ferocious' Cornwall barn fire

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said about 100 round bales of hay and straw had been destroyed in the fire

Five Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to a "quite ferocious" blaze at a farm in Duloe.

Crews were called to the fire in a barn at the farm at midday on Tuesday where they found it "well alight".

Mark Goldsmith, incident commander, described the fire as "quite ferocious" when crews arrived.

Farmer Andrew Wills said he managed to extract one of the tractors before fire crews arrived but he had lost everything else in the barn.

"I managed to get one of the tractors out but everything was too far gone and well alight," he said.

Andrew Wills said his wife June called the fire service while he rescued one of the tractors from the barn

"I think the whole of Cornwall turned up."

Mr Wills said they had lost a lot of farming equipment in the fire and it was a "good job" he remembered what was in there.

Mr Goldsmith said: "It was coming through the roof with the roof tiles popping off and banging off.

"There was a lot of loud bangs and cracks," he added.

"There was a large black smoke plume which could be seen for two or three miles, so we knew it was a fairly substantial fire on route.

"We were fortunate in the fact that the wind direction was blowing away from us at the scene.

"It has been highlighted that it is an asbestos roof."

Mr Goldsmith said there had been about 100 round bales of hay and straw, three tractors, three quadbikes, a motorbike and other farm items in the barn.