It comes after Met Office warnings that temperature extremes are becoming the norm2. This has been clear over the past few weeks as the hot and dry weather has created tinderbox conditions on farms across the country. Not only does this put livestock and crops at risk, but people鈥檚 safety, their homes, and those of their neighbours too, as fires can spread quickly and unpredictably.聽
The National Fire Chiefs Council has reported more than 500 wildfires in 20253, while data from the NFU Mutual shows the increasing cost of farm fires4, reaching 拢110 million in 2023 鈥� an increase of 37% from 2022.聽
Farm fires can start in a multitude of different ways, from combine harvesters overheating to disposable barbecues being left in fields. As well as farmers and growers doing what they can to prevent and manage fires, the NFU is asking:聽
- All fire services to invest in a newly developed adapter5 to enable fire engines to access on-farm water bowsers and tanks.聽
- Government to introduce legislation requiring manufacturers to ensure combine harvesters are equipped with fire suppression mechanisms at the point of sale.聽
- Local authorities to start issuing PSPOs (public space protection orders) on activities that risk wildfires, such as lighting barbeques and setting off sky lanterns.聽
- Government to avoid changes in land management policies 鈥� particularly in the uplands6 鈥� which could actually increase wildfire risk in dry conditions.聽
NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos said: 鈥淲ildfires are a serious threat to the countryside and right now, farms are in tinderbox conditions. Fires can spread scarily quickly, putting both people and animals at risk and destroying valuable crops, grassland and infrastructure.聽
鈥淎s farmers, we are doing what we can7, but this isn鈥檛 an issue we can tackle alone. It鈥檚 vital that government, fire services and local authorities work with us on prevention, education and response, and for everyone enjoying the countryside this summer to be fire-aware so these shared spaces remain safe for all. 聽
鈥淧rotecting our farmland means protecting our food, our environment and our rural communities.鈥澛�
There have been a number of fires on farms across the country only this week, and there are concerns that more will occur as combines roll to gather this year鈥檚 harvest.聽
In some counties such as Lincolnshire and Norfolk, fire engines have been equipped with a new adapter 鈥� developed by a Lincolnshire farmer 鈥� which enables them to access water stored on farms when their own on-board supplies have been exhausted. But in most other counties, fire engine fittings are still not compatible with rural water storage systems, making a farm fire outbreak harder to manage.聽
Lincolnshire arable farmers Andrew Ward and Rhonda Thompson have first-hand experience of the importance of these adapters when part of their farm went up in flames over the weekend.聽
Rhonda said: 鈥淚t was awful to get the call from a neighbour that our poultry manure heap was on fire, which is surrounded by thousands of acres of wheat 鈥� both our own and neighbouring farmers鈥�.聽
鈥淓very minute the fire was unattended added to the risk of it breaking over into the crop, where it would鈥檝e spread quickly to neighbouring farms and been much harder to contain. Two fire engines arrived quickly from Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire and, fortunately, the Lincolnshire fire engine was carrying the adapter.聽
鈥淚 dread to think how bad it would鈥檝e been if the firefighters didn鈥檛 have access to our on-farm water stores and neighbours鈥� water bowsers and tankers. Sadly, that鈥檚 the situation facing most farms across the country without this adapter.鈥澛�
Rachel Hallos added: 鈥淔armers are ingenious people. The fact that one of our members worked with his local fire service to develop an adapter specifically for rural areas, then managed to secure funding for all 48 fire engines in Lincolnshire to be equipped with it, shows what can be achieved when we work together and put our minds to it. 聽
鈥淭hese adapters have been instrumental in minimising the impact of farm fires on livelihoods, and I believe it should be a non-negotiable for all fire engines across the country to invest in. They aren鈥檛 expensive, yet the cost of a farm fire can be devastating.聽
鈥淭here are solutions out there, and what we鈥檙e asking for today will help tackle some of the key causes and risks of wildfires.鈥澛�