Fire crews remain at the scene of a large fire on Hobhole Bank in Old Leake this afternoon, following an incident that broke out late last night.
Six appliances from across Lincolnshire were deployed after the alarm was raised, with firefighters working through the night to bring the blaze under control. The incident caused disruption to rail travel, with trains cancelled throughout the evening as a safety precaution.
A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said crews were still working to fully extinguish the fire and make the area safe: “Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue are currently responding to a barn fire on Hobhole Bank reported at 2044 on Tuesday 2 December.
“Six crews from Leverton, Boston, Kirton, Spilsby, and Wainfleet attended the original incident alongside a Water Carrier from Market Rasen and a Command Support Unit from Grantham, and used four hose reels, one main jet, two major pumps and two light portable pumps in efforts to extinguish. Due to the length of the incident, relief was supplied through the night by crews from Skegness, Billinghay, Spalding, Donington, Woodhall Spa, and Market Deeping.
“Fire investigations will be completed once the fire is fully extinguished.”
The fire affected nearby railway lines, prompting Network Rail engineers to assess the damage before trains could resume. A spokesperson for Network Rail confirmed that railway infrastructure had suffered notable damage but that services were now operating normally.
The Network Rail spokesperson said: “Train services are able to run as normal but the fire has caused significant damage to Smiths level crossing equipment, including the Vamos warning light system, footboards, telephones and fencing.
Staff remain on site, however a timescale for repairs is not currently available.”
The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed, and investigations are expected to continue once the site is safe.
