Investigation after disused Winsford barn set on fire 'deliberately'

A barn on Rilshaw Lane in Winsford caught fire twice within an hour on Friday evening.

Altogether five fire engines dealt with the two incidents.

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An investigation into the cause of the second blaze has indicated that the fire was started ‘deliberately’.

Emergency services were first called to reports of a fire in a disused barn on a farm at Rilshaw Lane at 7.30pm.

Crews found a fire on the ground floor of the building which was extinguished with a hose reel jet.

Firefighters then used ladders to access other areas of the building to check for any fire spread.

An hour later, firefighters were called to another report of a fire at a disused barn on Rilshaw Lane.

Crews discovered a fire on the ground floor and first floor of the building.

Firefighters gained access to the first floor by using an extension ladder and then used a high pressure jet to extinguish the fire.

The building was then checked with a thermal imaging camera.

A spokesman for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “An investigation into the cause of the fire has indicated that the fire was started deliberately.”

Fire engines from Winsford, Middlewich and Northwich dealt with the incident.

Police investigated another arson attack on a barn in Rilshaw Lane in June.