400 tonnes of hay set alight by arsonsists
SECOND BLAZE IN FORTNIGHT – AFTER SPATE LAST SUMMER
FOUR hundred tonnes of hay was set on fire deliberately over the weekend, devastating farmland near Market Harborough.
Fire crews were called to the field near East Carlton, at 8.20pm on Saturday.
A large number of hay bales which were stacked to be moved were set alight.
Fire crews from Desborough, Kettering and Corby were called to the blaze, in Pipewell Road, off the A427. They remained on the site until 8.45am on Sunday.
A Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue spokesman said: “Crews worked with the farmers to create a fire break to prevent the fire from spreading into the neighbouring field.
“Desborough left the scene at just before 1.30am and Corby at 4.30am, while Kettering remained onsite until 8.45am on Sunday.
“We continued to monitor the incident hourly on Sunday and returned on Monday to carry out a further after-fire inspection to determine the cause and ensure no further risk. If you have any information on this incident please call 101, or you can report anonymously to FireStoppers on 0800 169 5558.”
The fire is the second suspected haystack arson in as many weeks in the region, following a blaze at a farm just south of the A14 near Thrapston last week.
Pc Abbey Anstead, of Northamptonshire Police’s Rural Crime Team, said: “With the better weather comes the busiest time of year for our arable farmers as they get ready to harvest the result of 12 months of hard work.
“With this, though, comes its own hazards, one being hay and straw stacks being deliberately set on fire both out in the fields and on farmyards, which not only has a huge financial impact but endangers lives.
“Working with our colleagues from the fire and rescue services and Leicestershire Police, we will be promoting farm safety and providing crime prevention advice to prevent arson attacks as well as investigate any reports of suspected arson.”
Ten similar fires in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire last year caused hundreds of thousands of pounds in damages to the crops along with, on average, £150,000 for the fire service to attend per incident.
Andy Evans, Northamptonshire coordinator of the Arson Task Force, said: “The setting of deliberate fires needlessly puts both members of the public and our firefighters at risk of harm.
“It also needlessly diverts our resources away from other incidents where lives could be in danger.
“Setting haystacks on fire can have a massive impact on rural businesses and communities.
“We would strongly urge people to think of the impact their actions may have, and our police colleagues will thoroughly investigate any incidents of this kind.”