Fire crews and farmers worked together over the weekend to stop the spread of fires across fields of standing crops.
Last night crews from several areas were called to a “significant” fire on a farm in Burleydam.
Initial crews worked hard to try and get the fire under control and worked very hard in conditions with limited water and personnel while also tackling the rapidly spreading fire.
‘Quick assistance’
Speaking after the incident, the crew thanked local farmers who were on hand for their quick assistance to fill slurry tanks with water, load-alls to drag standing crops and a plough to break the fire.
Image source: Whitchurch Fire Station
Meanwhile further north in Wallingford, more than 800m² of crops were destroyed in the blaze on Saturday evening.
The efforts managed to stop the fire spreading to a nearby pig farm.
Several roads around the area were closed by Thames Valley Police while a total of 10 fire engines and their support vehicles worked to control the flames at Ewelme Downe Farm, Ewelme, Oxfordshire.
Crews from Didcot, Wallingford and Wantage fire stations were called to the fire at 5:27pm on July 14.
On arrival they found the fire to be in a field of standing crop that was spreading quickly.
Group manager Dave Bray, a firefighter who attended the incident, said: “This was a very challenging incident for all of the fire crews as they had to work in very hot ambient temperatures.
“Once again it demonstrates just how well the fire and rescue services located across the Thames Valley are able to work together.
We were also aided greatly by the local farmers, who upon identifying the presence of fire immediately commenced creating fire breaks around the outside of the fields by ploughing through the crop.
“Fortunately, this helped us in preventing the fire spreading to a nearby pig farm, as well as other buildings.
“Thames Valley Police were also a great help, as they closed the surrounding roads so that the fire appliances and tractors could move back and forth across the area freely.
“They also gave us access to the National Police Air Service, which was equally invaluable as it gave us a birds-eye view of the scene enabling us to direct our ground crews around the perimeter of the fire, since the area was of such a size that this could not be easily be determined from down in the fields.”
The cause of the fire is understood to have been accidental.
