Farm fire 'could have been devastating'

Farmers say a fire in one of their fields could have been "devastating" had they not already harvested the crop.

The blaze at Pennyquick Hill near Bath started just before 13:00 BST on Monday. Newton Farm said the "scary" fire began in a neighbouring field and quickly spread to one of theirs next to the main road.

Due to the persistent hot weather, the wheat from the field had already been harvested three weeks earlier, and sheep had also recently been moved from a nearby field.

Farmer Josh Gay said if there had been bales of straw in the field they would have needed "every fire engine in Bath" to put it out.

Josh called the fire service himself when he spotted flames on Monday lunchtime. He said he thought "his neighbour was being foolish and having a fire in the valley" then he saw a field on the next door farm was on fire and within half an hour it had spread to his farm.

Avon Fire & Rescue Service said at the height of the fire, which was believed to have started accidentally, eight engines were used.

A service spokesperson added: "Firefighters extinguished the fire using multiple hose reels and fire beaters before carrying out extensive checks for hotspots."

Police closed Pennyquick Hill for around two hours, and local residents were advised to keep doors and windows closed.

Newton Farm said children from a nearby nursery were taken to their Farm Shop, which is half a mile away, to be collected by parents because of concerns over the smoke.

Just before 22:00 BST on Monday night, fire crews were called back to the scene after a deep-seated fire re-ignited in the hedgerow.

Newton Farm has had its earliest harvest ever, because of the numerous heatwaves and hot, dry weather. The harvest usually finishes at the end of August.

Josh's dad, farmer Hugh Gay, said the farm had had a lucky escape. He said had the field caught fire before the bales of straw had been removed "it would have swept through a lot quicker, because the flames would have got a lot bigger".

"In that respect it would have been quite devastating," he added.

His son Josh added: "It was a very lucky escape because it wasn't far from all the houses over the road. There's power lines in the field, there's a massive transformer.

"If it did manage to spread over the road, because it did burn right up to it, it would have been devastating for everyone on the other side."

Josh believes the fire could have been started by a discarded cigarette and is urging people to take extra care in the countryside.

"Don't smoke whilst on your walk in the dry fields, that tiny ember can set whole fields on fire," he said.

"That fire spread very quickly in the wind, it blew across that field in 20 minutes".

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