FIREFighters managed to save a barn in Sampford Courtenay after 60 bales of hay overheated and caught light. Fire control received a call reporting a barn on fire shortly after midday on Sunday. One appliance from North Tawton, two from Okehampton and the water carrier from Barnstaple attended. Station officer Ian Donovan from Okehampton said: ?The fire was contained to 60 bales of hay, which were removed from the barn and extinguished. A third of the hay was saved and the building was only slightly damaged because we caught it early.? Hydraulic farm machinery was used to remove bales of hay to open ground. Fire engines had to shuttle back and forth to the village to get water, and the road linking Sampford Courtenay to the station was closed for several hours to allow for this. Mr Donovan said crews remained on the site for about six hours. A similar fire at Lewdown last Wednesday destroyed 350 bales of hay and over half of the barn in which they were housed. Mr Donovan said hay bales could overheat at this time of year, and if farmers were concerned, the fire service had special thermometers to check for danger. On Saturday firefighters from Okehampton raised £260 for the service benevolent fund by washing cars in Waitrose car park, until they were called away to deal with a car fire.
