A COW was put down after suffering injuries in an Ottery barn blaze.

A COW was put down after suffering injuries in an Ottery barn blaze.

Firefighters rescued 26 cows in total following the fire at Knightstone Farm, which took hold of the barn at around 8.10pm yesterday (Monday).

A fire service spokesperson said: "We rescued 26 cows from the inside of the barn but unfortunately one of them had to be put down."

Crews evacuated two people from their homes after setting up a 200 metre cordon.

The spokesperson added: "The problem is that ammonium nitrate, which was involved in the fire, reacts violently to water so we can't put water on it.

"Our main task is to make sure the flames don't spread to any other buildings."

It is believed crews will be working throughout the day to control the blaze.

Keep checking this website for updates