Farmers 'devastated' after fire burns down shed days before Christmas

Farmers say they are “devastated” after a fire ripped through a shed during the night in East Ayrshire.

Owners of Corrie Mains Farm in Mauchline spotted smoke coming from their shed in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A number of crucial equipment, including an egg grader and vital packaging, were lost in the blaze.

Images showed the shed having been reduced to rubble by the fire.

STV News

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent a number of appliances to the scene and returned again the following day as the fire sparked up for a second time.

No one was injured in the blaze and no animals were harmed, the owners said. The cause of the fire is unknown.

The fire comes days after a garden centre and cafe at nearby Hayes Garden Land in Symington were burned to the ground.

Glasgow & West

Drone images show aftermath of devastating fire that burned down garden centre

Firefighters were called to Hayes Garden Land outside Kilmarnock during the early hours of Monday morning.

James Smilie, from the family-run farm, told STV News: “It is honestly devastating. It is traumatic.

“A lot of people might say it is just a shed, but that is the heart of the business, where we do our packing.

“The fire brigade were back out again on Saturday night because the charred packaging went up in flames again.

“The community support has been fantastic. It won’t be an overnight fix, but we will get back on our feet.

“We are devastated, and we’re down, but we’re not out.”

The farm thanked emergency services including fire crews and police for responding to the incidents.

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