Fire service working with NFU after six combine harvester blazes in three days
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue has today said it is working with the NFU (National Farmers' Union) to support farmers following a spate of combine harvester and field blazes.
Firefighters tackled two combine harvester fires yesterday (Wednesday) evening, bringing the total to six in three days.
At 7.48pm a blaze in Crowland, involving a combine harvester and 200 square metres of straw stubble, was tackled by crews from the town and Spalding.
Later, at 9.25pm, crews from Donington and Spalding responded to reports of a harvester on fire near a wheat field on North Drove, Quadring Fen.
There was fire damage to a small quantity of chaff and straw within the engine compartment. Crews used one hose reel to extinguish.
The incidents followed a combine harvester fire earlier on Wednesday in Donington; one in Moulton Seas End on Tuesday and ones in Surfleet and Gedney on Monday.
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service's area manager Mark Baxter said: "We have good links with the NFU to support the farming community in regards to fire safety to reduce the risk of fire related incidents in rural areas.
"It has been a busy period for Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue and the farming community, in which we have seen a 50 per cent increase in field fires from this time last year.
"There are several factors that have resulted in this increased volume of incidents, which is due to the public taking advantage of the prolonged hot weather conditions and also the increased level of activity of farmers to harvest their crops."
"Our outdoor fire campaign highlights the risks associated with discarded smoking materials, use of disposable barbeques, not leaving campfires unattended and not to leave glass bottles lying on the ground.
"All our work across all areas of our communities is focused on reducing the likelihood of field fires within Lincolnshire."