'It's just madness!' Stow farmer speaks out following series of suspicious fires
Quick-thinking neighbour helped avert a 'catastrophe'
Last updated 19th Mar 2024
A Borders farmer's praising his neighbour for raising the alarm after more than 200 bales of straw and hay were destroyed in a suspicious blaze overnight.
Former NFU Scotland President Nigel Miller revealed their prompt actions helped save more than two dozen cattle in a neighbouring barn.
Firefighters remain on scene at Stagehall Farm in Stow this morning (Tuesday) to dampen down the area, and make it safe.
It's the fourth suspicious blaze in the area in a fortnight - and anyone with information is urged to contact police.
"We've been really well supported," Mr Miller told Greatest Hits Radio, as smoke continued to rise from the remains of the fire.
"It could have been a lot worse.
"The fire service have been great, they were here within minutes, and did everything they could."
Nigel's son, Andy Miller, added: "It’s still burning now and will be for some time. Thankfully, a very thoughtful neighbour's quick actions helped save the cows."
It's the second farm shed in Stow found alight in as many days.
Around 90 bales of hay were destroyed in a fire on the opposite site of the village in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Four miles away, a thatched round house at Wooplaw Woods - Britain's first community woodland - was also destroyed over the same weekend.
And a further 60 bales of hay were found alight off Earlston Road on Tuesday, March the 5th.
The latest incident happened just yards from the village stop on the Borders Railway.
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Mr Miller said: "Things like this happen, and they keep happening. And they're obviously often a tragedy for people in business terms but, probably more importantly, in terms of livestock or animals getting killed or injured.
"We've been lucky, we got the cattle out from the shed next door, and penned them up somewhere safe for the night, although they had quite a lot of smoke to breath. So hopefully we're okay in that way.
"But the impact on feed stocks to get us through winter, and bedding - to a degree - is a worry now as well. One of the courts is also unusable.
"I just hope it doesn't happen to anyone else and, to whoever does it, it's just madness!"
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 11.43pm on Monday, March 18th, to reports of a farm building on fire in Stow.
“Operations Control initially mobilised two appliances to the scene, then increased to four.
“On arrival firefighters found a barn filled with hay bales well alight.
“One appliance remains on scene to dampen down surrounding walls.
“No casualties have been reported.”
Police believe the fires could be linked and have launched an investigation.
WATCH: Click on the link below to view our video from the scene...
Detective Constable Louise Begley, from Police Scotland, said: “This is the third report of a suspicious fire in the area recently where hay bales have been destroyed.
“This fire is being investigated alongside two identical fires in Stow reported to police on Sunday, March 17th, and Tuesday, March 5th.
“We are carrying out enquiries in the village and reviewing CCTV to find the person or people responsible.
“I would ask local residents to check their private CCTV and motorists to check dashcam footage to see if you have captured anything that could assist our investigations.
“Anyone with any information should contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting 0030 of Tuesday, March 19th.”
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