The cost of farm fires increased by 37% from £80.4 million in 2022 to an estimated £110.3 million last year, despite a 15% fall in the actual number of claims made, according to new data published by insurer, NFU Mutual today (Tuesday, November 26).
The rural insurance provider has accredited this rise to the larger-scale of fires reported to NFU Mutual last year in comparison to previous years, as well as the inflated prices for replacement equipment, building materials and labour.
The data also revealed that the main causes of farm fire claims in 2023 were electrical faults, lightning strikes and arson attacks.
NFU Mutual rural affairs specialist, Hannah Binns, said: “A major fire is one of the most devastating things that can happen on a farm. As well as putting the lives of farmers and their families at risk, the impact of a fire can disrupt farm businesses for years.
“A lot of farms today frequently have larger quantities of flammable straw and other crops often stored close to tractors and other high-value equipment, so doing everything possible to reduce the risk of a fire breaking out is so important.”
She recommends undertaking a “comprehensive farm fire prevention plan” which covers buildings, managing livestock, maintenance and cleaning schedules for machinery, to help mitigate the incidence of farm fires.
She also advices identifying an an evacuation procedure to prevent casualty and injury should a fire does break out.
“Having good insurance in place with values kept up to date is also vital to cover the cost of new buildings, replacement equipment and lost stored crops.
“Keeping an income flowing into the farm following a fire is equally important, which is why business interruption insurance is an essential consideration,” she added.
The cost of agricultural vehicle fires, which are recorded separately by NFU Mutual, remained high at an estimated £37.7 million in 2023, driven by a rise in the cost of tractor fire claims to £20.4 million.
The cost of combine harvester fires fell from £11.1 million in 2022 to an estimated £7.4 million in 2023, which NFU Mutual surmise is a consequence of lower summer temperatures, on top of industry pressure on farmers to install fire suppression systems to counter fire risks.
Agricultural vehicle specialist at NFU Mutual, Louise Nicholls said:
“For highly vulnerable kit, including combine harvesters, tractors and balers, rigorous attention to maintenance and cleaning is essential. We strongly recommend that farmers fit fire suppression kits to their combine harvesters.
“These systems are very effective in stopping small fires spreading and engulfing the entire machine. NFU Mutual operates a scheme providing premium discounts for up to 15% for approved suppressor and we also provide pre-harvest training workshops for farms.
“These are delivered on-farm by NFU Mutual Risk Management Services Limited, which go through the key hazards that farm workers typically face during harvest season and offer ways fires and accidents can be prevented.”
The report also accounted for differences in farm fire costs per region in the UK, with the north west experiencing the greatest spike in costs relating to farm fires this year, up 549% from £4.4 million in 2022 to £28.8 million in 2023.
While Scotland reportedly had the lowest levels of farm fires costs in 2023 at £5.9 million, down 6.2% from 2022’s figure of £6.3 million.
NFU Mutual Risk Management Services Farm Fire Safety Guide:
- Have an evacuation plan in place;
- Maintain your electrics;
- Suppress the risk;
- Keep on top of your housekeeping – a build up of debris serves as fuel for fires;
- Control hot work – Welding, cutting or grinding equipment, along with blowlamps and blow torches, produces sparks which can turn into fires if they hit combustible material.
