OKEHAMPTON firefighters were called out following a fire alarm at Somerfield supermarket in Okehampton last Thursday. Two appliances from Okehampton attended the store at around 9.15am and tackled a small electrical plant fire on the first floor level. Shoppers were kept clear of the area for a short time because of the fear of toxic smoke. The firecrews used two sets of breathing apparatus and a CO2 extinguisher to make the area safe. One crew from Okehampton was returning from overnight support fighting a major fire at a printing firm on an industrial unit at Exeter when it received the supermarket call. The crew had been at the scene of the Exeter fire from 3am to 9am on Thursday. l Shortly before noon last Wednesday week, crews from Hatherleigh and Okehampton were called to a Calor Gas lorry which had overturned into a ditch at Green Farm, Halwill. The vehicle was eventually pulled out of the ditch, but due to safety concerns caused by lightning storms, several local residents were evacuated from the vicinity while the area was made safe. Residents were later allowed to return to their homes and firefighters remained at the scene until 6pm.
