Farmer speaks of his devastation after his Halesowen land is hit by two fires in two days
A farmer has spoken of his 'devastation' after a blaze broke out on a farm in Halesowen for the second time in two days.
Fifty cattle were evacuated as crews battled the major barn blaze at White House Farm, just 24 hours after another serious fire.
Six crews tackled the most recent fire on Monday night, with roads around the scene blocked.
Thirty firefighters battled to save the barn and its contents but the building and 300 tons of hay were destroyed.
Crews led 50 cattle to safety to a nearby field, and 20 firefighters remained at the scene yesterday morning.
Sunday's suspected arson attack left six calves dead and 11 others needing veterinary care.
Farmer Ross Beasley, who has lived at the farm for his whole life, said the two fires were 'devastating'.
His wife Helen was due to celebrate her 50th birthday on Monday but the celebrations were cancelled when the blaze broke out just before 8pm.
She told the Express & Star: "Ross got a phone call from a neighbour and it was exactly like the night before, the place had all gone up.
"There was nothing we could do.
"They would have heard those calves screaming and we think they were watching.
"You can't get into their heads and understand why they did this - it's impossible.
"The first night was a needless arson attack and I want people to realise the devastation for the livestock and what those poor calves went through."
The latest fire will have a knock-on effect on the farm's productivity, as a tractor was gutted by the flames and rendered unusable.
Mrs Beasley said: ""You can replace the fodder like the hay but we'll have to manage without the shed and a tractor which was written off on Monday night.
"Days without machinery are days without work."
Firefighters from across the West Midlands were sent to tackle the blaze at White House Farm which broke out at around 8pm on Monday.
More than 300 tons of hay caught fire on the land off Lutley Lane, Hayley Green, in the blaze.
West Midlands Fire Service received a 999 call at 7.59pm alerting them to the blaze.
Thirty firefighters battled to save the barn and its contents but the building and the mass of hay were destroyed.
Crews led 50 cattle to safety to a nearby field and 29 firefighters remained at the scene yesterday (TUES) morning.
A fire service spokesman said fire investigators visited the site yesterday afternoon, and one crew had remained at the scene during the day.
Speaking about Sunday's fire, West Midlands Police spokesman Lee Page said: "We were called at 10.20pm.
A couple of members of the public, believed to be from the farm, detained two people, a 51-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy.
"They were arrested on suspicion of arson."
No one was injured in the second blaze, which was also being treated as arson.
A spokesman said: "Two men, aged 51 and 16, arrested in connection with the fire on Sunday evening were released on police bail sometime after the second fire was reported."
