FIREFIGHTERS spent an hour and a half tackling a barn fire which could have led to an explosion after a quarter tonne of fertiliser went up in flames.

Crews were alerted when Godfrey Bradford, who lives in a mobile home near to the barn, was awoken by the blaze.

Loud banging woke the farm owner, Gerald Roberts, 82, who was asleep in the nearby farmhouse.

"It could have all been much worse if it wasn't for Godfrey," said Mr Roberts, "the fire had just reached the main farm building when the firefighters got there — five or 10 minutes more and it would have been a lot worse. There were 35 chickens in there."

Four fire appliances from Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot, Exeter and the incident command vehicle from Exmouth, were called to the blaze at Marsh Lane Farm in Chudleigh at 2.47am.

When crews arrived a single storey lean-to building, containing a £3,000 tractor, ammonium nitrate fertiliser, a yard scraper, a bailer, grass seeds and new jump leads, were all ablaze.

Watch commander Roy Wills said: "When we arrived the lean-to building was well alight. There were sheets of corrugated asbestos in the roof which obviously presented a hazard.

"There was a tractor and a bailing machine inside and a quarter tonne of ammonium nitrate fertiliser which is very hazardous because it can become explosive."

Firefighters cordoned off the immediate area.

Mr Wills said firefighters who had been fighting the fire in the lean-to where the asbestos was, had to be decontaminated and their kit taken away for specialist cleaning.

Six firefighters wore breathing apparatus and four hose reels and a thermal imaging camera were used.

Mr Wills said: "The man who lives in a mobile home near the building heard popping and crackling and that was the fire taking hold."

He added: "We believe the fire was caused by a battery charger which charges batteries the farmer uses for his electric fencing. It had been on all night and is the only feasible source of ignition."

But Mr Roberts said: "From my point of view, it's suspicious. I wonder if somebody broke in looking for diesel.

"I was in bed and Godfrey woke me. He was outside, banging on the car and shouting to wake me up. I could hear banging and I went outside — the lean-to is about 100 yards from my house. It was well alight and the heat was terrific — there was nothing we could do by then. Godfrey called 999 from his mobile."

Mr Roberts said he could not put an estimate on the cost of the damage but said he was insured and hoped he would be able to make a claim.

He was born and lived in the property his whole life, his family working the 50 acres of land and 17 acres of woodland.

He said he remained adamant the battery charger did not cause the fire.