Fourth 'suspicious' barn fire

From the Salisbury Journal, first published Saturday 21st Jan 2006.

POLICE are investigating a fourth suspicious barn fire in the New Forest.

About 15 firefighters battled a blaze at a large barn containing 400 tonnes of straw at Lodge Farm in East Boldre, near Beaulieu, early Saturday.

It is the latest in a spate of fires at farm buildings in the Forest that are being treated as suspicious by police as fears rise that a serial arsonist may be at work.

Station Officer Dave Turner, based at Hightown, said: "We are concerned about the number of recent barn fires in the area. There is always a possibility it could be arson, purely because there have been three other incidents in the vicinity in the recent period.

"However, at this stage, we are still investigating the cause."

Just two weeks ago, more than a dozen firefighters were called to a huge barn fire which destroyed 300 tonnes of hay at Portmore Farm, Jordans Lane, near Lymington.

On Christmas morning, the Out of Town Centre at Beaulieu lost its stock of animal winter feed, including 700 bales of hay, in a suspected arson attack.

Seventy bales of straw were also lost in the fire, which broke out at 1.30am.

On November 20, about 20 firefighters from Beaulieu, Lymington and Hardley were called to a barn fire at Thorns Farm in Sowley.

And an historic barn at Breamore, near Fordingbridge, also was destroyed by a blaze last month.

More than 60 firefighters fought the flames at a 200-year-old wooden barn at Charford Manor Farm, which contained hay, straw and farm machinery. Two vintage Land Rovers also were destroyed in the blaze.

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