'Biggest ever' Northamptonshire D-Day beacon mistaken for 'farm blaze' as firefighters scrambled to scene
Concerned motorists who feared a Rushton farm was ablaze called the emergency services – but it was a D-Day beacon.
The beacon was lit at Rushton Meadows at 9.15pm last night – one of the hundreds across the country to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
The powerful blaze caused passing motorists to dial 999 thinking a warehouse or barn was on fire in the village near Kettering.
As commemorations took place a crew from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) attended the scene to be met by villagers.
A spokesman for NFRS said: “Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service was called shortly before 9.30pm yesterday (June 6) to reports of a fire in Rushton.
“On arrival, the crew from Rothwell discovered a controlled burn that was a registered beacon – and after establishing this immediately returned to their station.”
Rushton Meadows, who hosted the beacon, said on their Facebook page that it was the ‘biggest’ they had achieved, adding that firefighters had been ‘more than happy’ with the safety precautions taken.
A witness who saw flames said they thought it was a farmer's warehouse/storage building that caught ablaze with a smoke plume visible even from the A14.