Limerick firefighters save dwelling house after adjacent hay barn goes up in flames

LIMERICK firefighters spent nine hours overnight battling a major hay barn fire and preventing it from spreading.

A tractor in the shed was among the machinery destroyed in the major incident. However, firefighters saved an adjacent dwelling home and farm shed from being engulfed in flames.

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A spokesperson for Limerick City and County Council said Limerick Fire and Rescue Service received a call to a hay barn fire near Askeaton at 9.14pm last night. Firefighters from stations in Foynes, Rathkeale and Newcastle West all rushed to the scene.

“This was a large incident involving a large number of bales of hay, large quantity of turf and timber, a tractor and associated machinery, and a quantity of fuel. Hay barn fires are extremely difficult to extinguish,” said the spokesperson.

A quick-thinking local farmer, who assisted the crews by using his tractor to remove bales of hay from the barn, has been praised for his brave actions.

“Water was taken from a nearby stream and was also ferried to the scene using water tankers.

“The crews worked very hard for a number of hours to extinguish the fire and save an adjoining dwelling house and adjacent farm sheds,” said the council spokesperson.

The fire was extinguished at around 4am this Monday morning. No injuries to humans or animals have been reported. The cause of the blaze is not known.