A woman who lives just outside Bristol has been left devastated after a fire, believed to be started deliberately, destroyed her barn, endangering the lives of three horses on the property. The blaze broke out at the property on Westerleigh Road in Pucklechurch around 10.30pm on Friday, November 4,
Flames were first spotted by nearby neighbours, who say that the horses were already outside by the time they arrived on the scene, indicating that whoever was responsible had also released them. Fire crews from Kingswood, Yate and Hicks Gate attended the scene and used two 45mm jets and two high-pressure hose reels to extinguish the flames before damping down the area.
The property is a private stable and workshop where Emily Brewer keeps three horses, which she co-owns, two of which have serious health conditions. Fortunately, all the animals were rescued and are uninjured. But Ms Brewer says they are "very shaken up and distressed."
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Ms Brewer said that nothing is retrievable from the charred interior of the barn and that she has lost rugs, feed, bedding, hay and tack, as well as expensive veterinary medication worth thousands of pounds. Avon Fire & Rescue Service has said that it looks like the fire's cause was deliberate ignition.
Since the incident, Ms Brewer said that someone has remained on the site at all times for fear that whoever started the fire may return: "It just takes everything out of you, it’s been awful just trying to get everything settled for horses. I didn’t think I’d find it as exhausting as I have," she added.
Part of what Ms Brewer finds so unsettling is the apparent lack of motive and has "no idea" why someone would target her barn. "It's a lovely yard, the neighbours are lovely, and it's quite a quiet road, " she said.
Unfortunately, she said the damage is so extensive that she can't identify if anything was stolen.
A GoFundMe set up by Ms Brewer to replace some of the lost items has raised £550 of a £2,000 goal, but more pressing for her is finding a permanent location for re-housing the horses, currently being looked after in a temporary shelter on-site. She also hopes someone will come forward with information to put her mind at rest. She said: "I wouldn’t want anyone to go through this horrendous experience."
Investigating the cause of the fire, Avon and Somerset police have made checks of CCTV footage in the area, but appeal to anyone with information to contact them on 101, quoting the case reference number 5222266273.
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