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Much Wenlock farm shop owners 'heartbroken' after fire

Much Wenlock farm shop owners 'heartbroken' after fire

BBC News27-05-2025

"How your day can change in an hour, it's unbelievable."On Monday morning, everything changed for Peter and Alison Themans when they woke up to find their Shropshire farm shop on fire.The blaze, which was caused by an electrical fault, "completely destroyed" Wenlock Edge Farm in Much Wenlock, emergency services said."Bizarrely you think at the start 'I can put it out', but it was roaring and you couldn't get near it, it was so intense," Mr Themans said.
The couple said that their neighbours had been knocking on their door to warn them about the fire in the early hours of the morning.They said they were "heartbroken" by the fire which had destroyed all the work they had put into the farm over the last two decades."It's not something you expect in the middle of the night, but these things happen. We're very shocked and upset," Ms Themans said.
Mr and Mrs Themans said that the fire had been moving through the building at "such a pace" but thanked Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service for responding so quickly.The couple plan to rebuild the farm shop and start all over again after speaking to their insurers. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said that crews managed to isolate electrics during the fire and dampened down the area to ensure it was safe. Crews from Shrewsbury, Tweedale, Much Wenlock, Craven Arms, Church Stretton and Bridgnorth tackled the fire.
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