Stables destroyed in fire: arson suspected
Arson is suspected in a blaze that destroyed a block of stables.
Firefighters from Rochdale Fire Station were called to a fire in a field just after 2am on Thursday.
On arrival to the fire in Roch Valley Way, Rochdale, the crew had to make their way on foot first to check the access for the fire truck.
A block of three stables was alight and the firefighters had to act quickly to prevent the flames spreading to nearby stables.
Two horses, which were in the field when the crew from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service arrived, were uninjured.
Owner Roy Winterburn told the Manchester Evening News that he had left the horses inside the stables on the night of the fire.
He added they must have been freed or smashed their way out.
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Crew commander Ben McDermott from the fire station in Halifax Road told H&H the emergency call came from a person from a nearby housing estate.
“It was quite well ablaze,” said Mr McDermott.
“You could see it from around 300m away.”
The stables were ply-lined with metal cladding up the outside.
“All the ply lining on the inside had burnt away just leaving the metal sheets all falling in on it,” he added.
“[The stables] were burnt to the ground.”
Firefighters doused the empty nearby stables with water and managed to stop the fire spreading.
They had to connect the hose to the nearest water supply, which was about 100m away to get water to the fire.
Overall, the crew was at the scene for about an hour and four firefighters used one hose reel to put out the flames.
Mr McDermott confirmed there was nobody on site when they arrived and added he thought the cause of the fire was deliberate.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.