Emergency services probe fails to find what caused farm blaze

A joint investigation between the fire service and police has failed to find a cause for a blaze which broke out at a farm in Perthshire.

The probe took place over the weekend after crews battled for hours to bring the fire at Netherton Farm equestrian centre, near Abernethy, under control on Friday.

Yesterday a Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A joint investigation was carried out along with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the cause of the fire is undetermined.”

Four appliances were sent to the scene after the alarm was raised at 11.28am on Friday.

One crew was still at the farm on Sunday making sure the site was safe.

The incident also caused disruption on roads in the area.

Police issued warnings to motorists, urging them to drive with care due to the smoke blowing across the A912 which led to poor visibility.

The Perthshire farm was home to dozens of horses.

The animals were placed in a nearby field out of harm’s way while the fire was dealt with.

One witness said he could see the smoke from his kitchen on the other side of Bridge of Earn.

On Friday, a neighbour of the farm said: “The flames have been going all day.

“(They) would terrify almost anyone, they were that big.”

The equestrian centre is run by the Wilkie family and features indoor and outdoor riding areas, as well as a livery yard.

The owners of the centre were unavailable for comment on the conclusion of the investigation yesterday.

In a message on Facebook they praised the “amazing firefighters” and said all people and horses were safe.