Firefighters have been praised for their quick response and decisive action which prevented a farm fire from causing an environmental emergency.

At the height of the blaze at West End Farm, Rowde, eight crews were helping to battle the fire and stop heat reaching a giant slurry tank and two diesel containers.

Farmers Martin and Debbie Handy praised the crews for arriving quickly after the alarm was raised at around 11am on Monday.

Mrs Handy said: “I couldn’t believe how much of a nuisance had been created with the road closed and so much smoke but the fire crews were wonderful.”

The Environment Agency were called to the farm as it was feared the blaze might cause a slurry container to spill its gallons of liquid which would then contaminate a nearby stream.

But the firefighters managed to cool the tank sufficiently that although it started to melt it did not leak.

Command support manager Ade Hurren said: “The first crews did a tremendous job containing the fire when they arrived. They were met with a wall of flames and had to deal with a difficult water supply.

“The water pressure from the hydrants in these village area is often low so we have had to call in specialist water carriers to help with the operation.”

They also used water from the stream to combat the flames.

The A342 was closed just after 11am and there was also heavy congestion and chaos along some of the small village lanes leading into Rowde as motorists tried to find their way around the affected area.

The road re-opened at 7am on Tuesday.

Trowbridge watch manager Neil Hiscock, who was one of the first firefighters on the scene on Monday, was back with his crew at 5am on Tuesday.

He said: "There were two crews here overnight but then we reduced to one and I decided to re-open the road at 7am.

"The crews did excellent work containing the fire and the environment agency was happy there had not been pollution.”