Farm Fire – Disastrous Blaze at Conisborough

September 1935

Mexborough and Swinton Times September 13, 1935

Farm Fire
Disastrous Blaze at Conisborough

The most serious Farm Fire the Conisborough areas has experienced for many years occurred early on Tuesday when 21 stacks, two Dutch barn, five drays, four ladders, of a value estimated at £3,000 were completely destroyed at the large Parks Farm at Conisborough Parks, tenanted by Mr Richard Harrison, of South farm, Clifton

This serious loss represents the whole of this year’s harvest. Not a stack could be say, and the farm staff had only finished stacking previous Thursday after they have been engaged in leading for six weeks.

Mystery surrounds the cause of the outbreak. At 5 am everything was in perfect order, but when John Welborn, a farm and resides at the farm, got up in our latest begin work you discover that two stacks were ablaze, I was a fairly strong breeze blowing it was not long before all the stacks were alive. The stacks consisted of 16 corn, four hay and one straw.

Official news of the fire first came from Clifton, although hundreds of people in the Daylands housing estate, Conisborough, to whom the blaze was visible from a distance of 1 miles over the valley were out at an early hour watching the spectacle.

Information of the outbreak was first disclosed by Mr John William Colin, manager of the farm, when on his way to Clifton turnaround quite by chance when climbing a style and noticed smoke of the farm building. He thought a chimney might be fired up nothing more serious – but on arrival at Clifton he notified Mr Harrison of what he had seen, and a further inspection was immediately made from Clifton.

It was then realised that something serious was happening and the Conisborough police were communicated with the Doncaster Fire Brigade summoned. The brigade had a difficult task. The only way to the farm lay over the rough cart track from Conisborough, when they arrived at the farm they were hampered by water shortage, and were obliged to run out a mile of hose from Clifton, the nearest available, adequate water supply. By this time the stacks were all blazing furiously, and the brigade had of necessity confined their efforts to preventing the blaze spreading to the farm buildings which were very close to the stacks.

By a fortunate chance the wind was blowing in the opposite direction, and although the building became extremely hot there was no danger of their being involved, nor were cattle ever in danger.

Ater a battle of two hours part of the brigade returned to Doncaster with the engine, leaving the remainder of the fireman to stand by. The stacks continue to burn, and at nightfall the glow lit up the surrounding district, and could be seen miles away.

The stacks were still smouldering on Wednesday evening.

A Clifton villager informed a “Times” reporter that the harvest at the farm this year was the best for about 20 years, while a member of the Fire Brigade stated that the outbreak was most disastrous they had to cope with for a long time.