Straw and hay warning after rural fires
Fire chiefs have asked farmers to keep an eye on their straw and hay stores after they were called to several large rural fires in the last few weeks.
On Friday, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to a barn fire in Bridgnorth in which crews from six fire stations battled the blaze for five hours.
It followed a fire in a field, also in Bridgnorth, that started on Thursday night when 400 tonnes of straw and manure caught alight in a field in Tasley.
Crews spent three hours battling the blaze.
A spokesperson for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said they have seen an uptick in similar fires over the last few weeks.
He said: "We've seen an increase in barn fires over the last couple of weeks involving bales of stacked straw and hay. These can self-ignite and a fire can spread rapidly."
He added that advice was available to farmers at: shropshirefire.gov.uk/safety-community/farm-fire-safety-information
