Key Characters at Risk in Emmerdale’s Devastating Fire

As a fire tears through one of Butlers Farm’s barns, trapping Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) and Ruby Fox-Miligan (Beth Cordingly), spectacular and terrible events are about to break out in Emmerdale.

However, many lives could be lost in the fire, so they are not the only ones at danger.

Ruby arrives in the barn to celebrate when Caleb (William Ash) witnesses Moira seemingly kissing Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter), which ignites the fire.

Ruby’s amusement soon turns to fear, as she realises that Moira is hallucinating and believes that Ruby is actually her old nemesis Emma Barton.

Moira padlocks the barn so there’s no escape for Ruby, and spills tractor fuel around the floor. Then she fires off a shotgun and the barn is soon ablaze. 

But who else could find their life in peril in the inferno? Quite a few people, as it turns out… 

First up, of course, Moira herself. We’ve seen the beloved character going through some worrying health issues recently, beginning with memory lapses, mood swings and tiredness.

Moira has put this down to the menopause but was concerned enough to go and talk to Dr Liam (Jonny McPherson) about it – even though she subsequently forgot to go back for the blood test that Liam arranged. 

Viewers have seen Moira having more serious symptoms that she isn’t aware of when she had a seizure while on her own in a barn. There’s clearly something badly amiss, and this leads to her dangerous behaviour in the barn, as she believes Ruby is Emma Barton back from the dead. 

Strewing tractor fuel around the barn and then firing her shotgun into the air, the ensuing spark ignites the fire and the two women are soon trapped as the fire takes hold. 

Ruby Fox-Miligan 

Ruby has only come to the barn to amuse herself by taunting Moira with the detail that Caleb has seen Moira kissing Nate.

What she finds instead is Moira in a confused state, apparently unresponsive to Ruby’s jibes. Then Ruby becomes worried as a deranged Moira splashes fuel around – and raises her shotgun at Ruby. 

A warning shot from the gun starts a fire and Ruby tries to grapple Moira to get the gun, but Moira hits her with it.

Ruby collapses to the ground, her only hope now being for Moira to come to her senses and get them out. But Moira has padlocked the barn, and in her confusion she’s powerless to help as smoke fills the barn. 

Mackenzie Boyd and John Sugden 

Mack (Lawrence Robb), Moira’s brother, is the first to see smoke coming from the barn in the distance and tries to call Moira.

Getting no reply, he jumps onto a quad bike and heads to the barn. As he approaches, John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) is already there, and the two men prepare to go into the flames not sure of what they’ll find. 

They’re both putting their lives at risk. Will they make it out alive? 

Cain Dingle 

Things have been tense between Cain (Jeff Hordley) and Moira recently. He doesn’t know what mood she’s going to be in next, and she’s accused him of being unsympathetic.

But when Cain hears that Moira has apparently been revisiting her affair with his son Nate, he’s aghast and launches a violent attack on Nate. When Moira discovers this, she slaps Cain and leaves. 

Despite this, when Cain gets a call from Mack telling him that the barn is on fire and Moira might be inside, he rushes to the scene – and nothing is going to stop him from racing into the flames to try and rescue his wife. 

Caleb Miligan and Chas Dingle 

Caleb and Chas (Lucy Pargeter) are with their brother Cain when he gets the call from Mack, and they join him as he rushes to the blazing barn.

Caleb and Cain prepare to run into the building, with Chas frantically trying to stop them as the fire is now out of control and she knows they’d be putting their lives at risk.  

Then, as Chas stands by, a huge explosion rips through the barn. 

Will Taylor 

Will (Dean Andrews) has problems of his own as he’s being blackmailed by someone who knows that he slept with his ex, Rose Jackson (Christine Tremarco), while Kim (Claire King) was away.

He’s readied himself to meet the blackmailer at the agreed drop-off point where they’ve demanded Will leaves £10k. His plan is to confront them and unmask the blackmailer. 

But as he makes his way to the drop-off, Caleb tells him about the barn fire and asks for his help. Will realises he has to go and do what he can to help the people trapped in the fire, but it means he’ll miss the money drop.  

As he gets to the blazing barn, he gets a message on his phone. The blackmailer is not happy – and is threatening revenge.  

With his mind elsewhere, could Will be careless as he tries to help tackle the fire? 

Nate Robinson 

Nate’s life is in turmoil. Having previously reconciled with Tracy (Amy Walsh) and having planned for them to go to Shetland together to start afresh at his new job, Nate’s world was turned upside down when Cain accused him of betraying him by kissing Moira.  

In the aftermath of Cain’s accusations, Tracy tells Nate she can’t go to Shetland. 

We know that Jurell Carter is set to leave Emmerdale after five years in the soap. Will he be leaving for Shetland on his own, will he reconcile with Tracy – or will he be an unexpected victim of the fire? 

Tom King 

This one could be wishful thinking as nobody deserves a grisly end more than evil Tom King (James Chase), who has made the last few months absolute hell for his wife Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper). 

Belle has finally been able to claim back some power against the controlling, abusive Tom by telling Charity (Emma Atkins) what Tom has been putting her through.

The result of this is that Tom rapidly finds himself a total outsider in the village, with the Dingles out for revenge and Rhona (Zoe Henry) and Vanessa (Michelle Hardwick) deciding to sack him from his job. 

In the wake of this, Tom mysteriously vanishes, with his uncle Jimmy (Nick Miles) worrying for his safety as he knows that Cain Dingle would like nothing more than to batter him – or worse. 

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