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Fire at horse riding school is 'soul destroying'

Suzy Lawson,in Normanbyand
Grace McGrory
News imageBBC/Suzy Lawson A woman looking at the camera. She has blonde hair which is tied back. She's wearing a brown jacket and is standing in front of a barn which has been burnt. There are holes in the sides and the front, and lots of ash on the floor. There is a red tractor in the background.BBC/Suzy Lawson
Sarah McDonald said she had "never, ever been so terrified" when she saw the fire

The owner of a North Lincolnshire riding school damaged by a fire has described it as "soul destroying".

Sarah McDonald said the blaze started at Normanby Park Riding School, Scunthorpe, about 18:00 BST on Tuesday.

No staff or horses were injured but she said the school had "lost so much", including barns, rugs, hay, straw and vehicles.

She added: "I'm just so grateful everybody is alive and everybody is OK. I just don't know what I'd have done if anyone was hurt."

News imageBBC/Suzy Lawson A barn which has been destroyed by a fire. There are holes in the roof and the sides of the building. There are also charred remains in front of the barn.BBC/Suzy Lawson
Sarah McDonald said she thought the fire started as a result of the recent heat

McDonald said she was not sure how the fire started but believed it was to do with the impact of the heatwave.

"It was just a blaze. There was no putting that out – it completely exploded. Everything was completely on fire. The whole yard... you couldn't see."

She said staff had evacuated children and horses off the premises. The horses were all in a barn behind the one that was on fire.

"We literally can't believe this has happened. With the hay and straw... daily I've been checking. I've been saying to my liveries, 'Keep an eye, check your hay, make sure it's not too hot'."

News imageBBC/Suzy Lawson Three firefighters hosing down mounds of straw. There is smoke coming off it. Behind them is a landscape of hills, grass and trees.BBC/Suzy Lawson
Humberside Fire and Rescue crews remained at the scene on Wednesday

McDonald praised Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, saying the firefighters were "absolutely brilliant".

Local people were on site on Wednesday morning, helping to move the remaining straw out of the building.

McDonald estimated the damage to the barns would be more than £100,000. A fundraising page quickly raised more than £4,000.

"Obviously, in time, hopefully we can rebuild what we had," she said.

"We're so grateful for everyone's support and we hope everyone continues to support us."

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