Fire destroys barn in Kingsley

Aug 25 2011 by Rachel Flint, Chester Chronicle

FIREFIGHTERS battled through the night after fire ripped through a barn owned by a well-known Frodsham family.

At just after 6pm on Wednesday firefighters were called to Bank Top Farm on Cooks Hill in Kingsley, near Frodsham after a large barn caught on fire.

The barn, owned by Eric Hale of Frodsham, was completely destroyed in the blaze which sent clouds of thick black smoke billowing over the village.

Firefighters from Crewe and Widnes wearing breathing apparatus used ground monitors, hose reels and main jets to fight the blaze which continued into the early hours of the morning.

A spokesperson for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said that crews spent 48 hours manning the incident, dampening down the blaze and securing the surrounding buildings after discovering cannisters in the barn which could have exploded in the heat.

In July last year police stormed the family-owned barn finding more than 1,000 plants in six underground rooms.

Eric Hale junior and his father, who has since died, were arrested at the scene, where police found cannabis valued at almost £250,000.

Eric Hale is due to appear in court next month.

An investigation is being carried out into the cause of the fire by Cheshire Fire Service and Cheshire Police.