Page 107 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK FOUR Volume 1 "Northcote 1984 to 1998"

The horses in the stable block had to be put out in the paddocks again quickly.
One of us called the fire services and I gathered whatever help I could and began to drag
any good hay bales outside to get at the fire.

We only had mains water hoses and they were not much help but did managed to delay
the real conflagration deep inside.

ROBERT TO THE RESCUE
Access to the building was difficult as it was just behind the stables but our neighbour
Robert followed the fire engines to see what he could do. After working out the best way to
tackle the problem the firemen suggested he could help with his Bray loading shovel.

The first problem was finding water to fight the fire. There were three fire engines and one
was used to feed hose about 500 yards down into the village where there was a water
main access.

Robert was back very quickly and as the firemen soaked the hay Robert dug it out with his
shovel and took it across our yard, across the road from our house and into a vacant field.
Here a second fire engine soaked the hay to ensure the fire was out.

The firemen gradually worked their way into the building and fought the flames from the
outside too. By this time the whole wooden structure was well ablaze and Robert was
bringing parts of the roof and framework out with each load of soaking hay.
The firemen were desperately trying to save the stable block itself which was beginning to
blister with the heat.

Robert and the Actual loading shovel….a few years later, non the worse for its adventure.