Farm shop grotto wrecked by blaze

8:48am Tuesday 2nd December 2008

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A FIRE which tore through part of a farm shop near York saw the daring rescue of a trapped reindeer by the store’s owner.

The Christmas grotto at The Farm Shop, in Wigginton Road, was gutted in the blaze, which emergency services believe was the result of an electrical fault.

The glass-panelled building was the home of the store’s two reindeer, Donner and Dancer, who are now recovering after their ordeal, early yesterday morning.

The store’s co-owner, Dave Pulleyn, told how he braved the flames, shortly after 2am, to rescue Donner, who was trapped in a corner of the blazing building.

He said: “Two of our lads were out working and they came in to use the toilet and discovered the fire. They then alerted me.

“Everything was on fire. I could see Donner at the back of the building and I did my best to get her out but she was terrified and struggling. She eventually came out of her own accord.”

Mr Pulleyn said his wife was horrified to see him disappear in to the burning building.

“There was glass dropping out of the roof,” he said.

“I just thought Donner’s not getting out on her own so I just went in.

“It was hot and very very smoky. Only when there was the odd breeze did the smoke clear a bit.”

Donner’s stable-mate, Dancer, escaped the flames on her own and was later found wandering in a nearby caravan park.

Donner suffered cuts to her back, two damaged hooves and lost much of her fur.

After an examination by a vet, both animals are taking a well-deserved break and have been temporarily replaced by two other reindeer.

Staff at the farm shop hope Donner and Dancer will be back to greet visitors on Christmas Eve.

Despite the fire destroying much of the Christmas grotto, staff there say they are “working flat out” to get the attraction up and running again for the weekend.

Lyn King, a partner in the business, said: “We have been trying to clear the area of all the broken glass. We are ordering some new roofing and just trying to get it all back together,”

Though she admitted the fire was “devastating”, Mrs King also said it was “all hands on deck at the moment.”

The farm shop and its café are still open.