Bonfire Night Blaze at Ruabon Farm 1965

Firemen at Plas Madoc Farm, Ruabon, load burning hay onto a tractor to be taken to a nearby field for spreading. This was the scene at the farm on the Saturday morning after one of the biggest farm fires in the area. More than 150 tons of hay were lost in the blaze.

Firemen battled for two hours during the early hours of Bonfire Night to stop a fire spreading to farm buildings. The blaze was one of the biggest in the area for a number of years and firemen were at the scene throughout that weekend.

The fire destroyed more than 150 tons of hay and a four bay Dutch Barn which is on the Ruabon Acrefair Road and was owned by Mr. Frank Davies.

Mrs. Davies noticed the fire at about midnight on Friday. When the firemen from Wrexham and Johnstown the barn was well alight. Water from a brook was used to check the blaze which looked like spreading to the nearby farm buildings.

Cattle were moved to safety but the fire was under control and confined to the huge barn by 2am. Assistant Divisional Fire Officer Mr. John Brooking who was at the farm throughout the night, said on Saturday “This was one of the biggest farm fires we have dealt with for some years”. The cause of the outbreak was not revealed.

Firemen who were fighting a minor fire at a cricket pavilion at Overton were diverted to the farm and while they were at Ruabon a small fire broke out in a signal box at Wrexham General station.

Firemen at Plas Madoc Farm, Ruabon, load burning hay onto a tractor to be taken to a nearby field for spreading. This was the scene at the farm on the Saturday morning after one of the biggest farm fires in the area. More than 150 tons of hay were lost in the blaze.

Source: First published in Wrexham Leader 9th November 1965.

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