FIREFIGHTERS battled though the night to save a farmhouse after a blaze broke out in the early hours of yesterday.

An exclusion zone was set up after flames threatened to ignite gas cyclinders at Brazier Farm in Beach Road, St Osyth.

The fire broke out just after 2am.

Fire crews from across north-east Essex rushed to tackle blazing outbuildings just yards from the farmhouse.

Incident commander Danny Fearn said: “It was touch and go at one stage because the farmhouse is less than five metres from the burning buildings and flames actually reached electricity and telephone wires on the side of the house – they were that close.”

The firefighters’ job was made more difficult because of problems with the water pressure.

A 200m exclusion zone was set up after the brigade discovered a number of acetylene and LPG gas cylinders were in the blazing buildings.

Three people were evacuated from the farmhouse.

Firefighter Lee Perry told the Gazette: “When we arrived, a barn was well alight and the fire spread to adjacent outbuildings.

“We had a lot of difficulty with the water supply. There was very little pressure in the hydrant.

“The job was made more difficult for us because of acetylene cylinders involved in the fire.

“We have to set up a 200m cordon around such incidents.

“There were three people in the farmhouse who were evacuated and taken to a safe distance.”

Water was pumped on to the gas cylinders to prevent them exploding. The brigade said normal procedures were for the exclusion zone to remain in place for 24 hours because of the chemical reaction triggered when acetylene cylinders are involved in fire. Beach Road is expected to remain closed until the threat of explosions is over.

Firefighters from Clacton, Wheeley, Brightlingsea, Wivenhoe and Colchester tackled the blaze at its peak.

They were relieved by crews from Tiptree, Frinton and Chelmsford at 5.30am.

The farm’s owner Steve Torpey, 41, was coming back from holiday in Spain when he was told about the blaze.

He said: “I had just started building the farm up. My brother-in-law told me the damage was bad, but you do not realise until you see it, how bad it is.”

The banker added: “These barns have stood for hundreds of years and my wife, Kirsty, and I are very upset.”