SIXTY firefighters from across Cornwall spent more than eight hours tackling a barn fire at South Petherwin on Monday. Nine fire appliances rushed to Honiton Farm after receiving the call around 10.30am. More than four tonnes of fertiliser was involved in the fire and specialist crews were drafted in. Appliances from Launceston, Callington, Saltash, Liskeard, Bodmin and Lostwithiel, along with the specialist environmental unit from Saltash and extra support from St Austell, Liskeard and Plympton, tackled the blaze, which engulfed a 30m by 15m barn. Gary Chapman, Launceston station officer, said an unidentified type of fertiliser meant tackling the fire was more complicated. He said: "The reason the job was so big was because there was more than four tonnes of three types of fertiliser involved and one could not be identified, which made it much more complicated. A chemical involved is not good on any level." Mr Chapman told the Post that crews managed to prevent the fire spreading to adjoining builings, but the barn was 'destroyed'. Water was ferried directly from the mains supply at South Petherwin, affecting residents' water supplies. The cause of the fire was accidental. For the full report, and a round-up of the area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.