Pigeons perish in early hours allotment blaze on Sunderland site

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service were called to the allotment site off North Street and Devon Driver in the early hours of today. Image copyright Google Maps.

Pigeons were killed in a blaze which tore through up to nine plots on a Sunderland allotment site.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue was alerted to the fire at the allotments off Devon Drive and North Street in Silksworth at 2.55am today.

A crew from Farringdon Community Fire Station called for support from another team from the station, a crew from Sunderland Central and another from Washington as they battled the incident.

Three pigeon crees, which were holding an unknown number of birds, several green houses and a shed were wrecked by the fire with eight to nine plots ruined.

Six cylinders, holding LPG butane, were cooled to prevent further damage and risk.

The crews used three jets, two hose reels, a ground monitor, a temperature scanner, while three firefighters wearing breathing apparatus fought the flames.

An officer was also in attendance.