A fire at a farm in Suffolk this week escalated rapidly into a major multi-agency emergency – not because the building was large, but because of what was stored inside it.
The incident at Wetherden on Wednesday 22 April 2026 is a powerful illustration of why understanding and managing fire risk around hazardous materials is so important, not just for the premises involved, but for everyone nearby.
What Happened
Fire crews were called to a farm in Upper Town, Wetherden, at around 13:46 on Wednesday afternoon.
On arrival, they found a barn used to house workshop equipment and propane gas cylinders well alight, and the fire spreading to an adjacent building containing live rounds of ammunition.
The scale of the response was significant. Crews from eight Suffolk stations attended, including Wickhambrook, Ipswich Princes Street, Stowmarket, Newmarket, Needham Market, Haverhill, Ixworth and Bury St Edmunds. Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service sent additional resources from Thetford and Diss. Suffolk Police put road closures in place. Anglian Water and the East of England Ambulance Service were notified, and UK Power Networks engineers were called to isolate electricity supplies to the area.
At the height of the incident, a specialist hazardous materials adviser attended because of the range of risks present, including not only the propane cylinders and ammunition, but low-level asbestos identified in the roofing materials.
Mark Cragg, temporary group manager from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, described what crews found on arrival: “a very well-developed fire.” He added that the priority was clear from the outset. “Safety of the crews is absolutely paramount to us and we’ve been able to remove an element of risk because of the fast actions of our crews.”
A stop was issued at 19:24, nearly six hours after the fire started, with crews remaining on site until 21:30. A re-inspection and formal fire investigation were scheduled for the following morning.
Why Propane Cylinders and Ammunition Change Everything
Most barn fires are serious. A barn fire containing pressurised gas cylinders and live ammunition is something else entirely.
Propane is a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stored under pressure.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, uncontrolled releases of gases like LPG “can readily ignite or cause the cylinder to become a missile.”
In a fire scenario, cylinders can heat rapidly, leading to what is known as a boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion – a BLEVE – which can project fragments and a fireball over a wide area with very little warning. The risk is not theoretical. It is one of the most well-documented hazards in industrial fire safety.
The presence of live ammunition adds a further and distinct dimension of danger. Rounds stored in a burning building can discharge unpredictably, making the immediate area unsafe for firefighters and anyone in the surrounding area, regardless of how far they stand from the building itself.
Asbestos, identified in the roofing at Wetherden, creates a third layer of complexity.
When asbestos-containing materials are damaged by fire, they can release fibres into the air.
These fibres are not visible and not immediately dangerous in the way that flames or explosions are, but they represent a longer-term health risk to anyone in the area, including firefighters, investigators, and neighbouring residents.
It is why re-inspection the following morning required careful planning rather than a straightforward walk-through.
The Impact Beyond the Premises
Incidents like this have a reach that extends well beyond the boundary of the property involved.
Residents in the surrounding area were asked to keep their windows and external doors closed.
Roads were closed and people were asked not to travel to the area, both for their own safety and to allow crews to work. The large volumes of smoke produced by the fire affected visibility on nearby roads, creating hazards for drivers some distance away.
This is an important point that often goes unrecognised in discussions about fire risk.
A fire risk assessment carried out in isolation, focused only on the occupants of the building, can miss the wider picture.
A premises storing hazardous materials has the potential to affect neighbours, passing members of the public, local infrastructure, and emergency services resources across a wide area.
The Wetherden site was described as a commercial premises adjacent to a domestic property. That adjacency matters enormously. Residential occupants have no control over what is stored next door, but they bear real consequences when things go wrong.
What a Fire Risk Assessment Should Cover
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person for any non-domestic premises is required to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. For premises where hazardous substances are present, the requirements go further.
The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) require employers and those in control of premises to assess and manage the risk of dangerous substances specifically , including flammable gases such as propane.
The HSE is clear that fire risk assessments must consider the presence of dangerous substances, including what they are, how they are stored, what could cause them to ignite, and what controls are in place to reduce the risk of harm.
In practical terms, for a premises like the one at Wetherden, a thorough fire risk assessment should address: how gas cylinders are stored (away from heat sources, in ventilated areas, secured upright); whether quantities stored are appropriate and proportionate to operational need; whether there are suitable separation distances between hazardous materials and the building fabric and adjacent properties; what emergency procedures are in place for a fire involving hazardous materials; and whether the local fire service holds a Fire Service Information Pack for the site, including details of what is stored and where.
This last point is often overlooked. Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service responded with exceptional efficiency and speed on Wednesday, but the presence of a detailed site information pack can make a material difference to how quickly crews can identify hazards and make decisions about approach and tactics.
Fast Action Reduces Risk — But Prevention Reduces It More
The outcome at Wetherden, in terms of human safety, was as good as it could have been. All persons on site were accounted for and moved to a safe area. The propane cylinders and ammunition were moved out of the danger zone early in the incident. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported.
That reflects the skill and speed of the firefighters involved. But it also reflects a degree of fortune. A fire that starts when the site is unstaffed, or at night, or in conditions that delay the initial response, can develop very differently.
The more important lesson from Wetherden is not about how well fire crews performed, though they clearly did, but about why premises storing hazardous materials must have robust fire prevention measures in place before any incident occurs.
A fire risk assessment is not a box-ticking exercise. For premises with materials like LPG, ammunition, asbestos, or other dangerous substances, it is a detailed, site-specific analysis that must be regularly reviewed, kept up to date, and acted upon. The cost of getting that right is modest.
The cost of getting it wrong, in human terms, in community disruption, and in damage to neighbouring properties and businesses, can be severe.
If You Store Hazardous Materials on Your Premises
If your premises involve the storage of LPG, flammable gases, or any other dangerous substance, your fire risk assessment must reflect those specific risks. A generic assessment is unlikely to be sufficient.
At ESI: Fire Safety, we carry out fire risk assessments for a wide range of commercial and agricultural premises, including those with complex or elevated risk profiles.
We can help you identify what your assessment needs to cover, ensure your storage arrangements meet current guidance, and make sure that if the worst happens, both your occupants and your neighbours have the best possible chance of a safe outcome.
Get in touch with our team to discuss your fire risk assessment needs.
Sources
BBC News — “Crews to re-inspect barn fire site because of risks” (22 April 2026): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c070l4y24l8o
Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service — Wetherden incident update: https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/suffolk-fire-and-rescue-service/fire-service-incidents/barn-on-fire-at-a-farm-in-wetherden
Health and Safety Executive — About dangerous substances: https://www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/about.htm
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1541/contents
Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2002/2776/contents
