Farmers fear heatwave field blazes caused by countryside visitors

People enjoying the countryside around the Melton borough are being urged to be aware of inadvertently causing fires during the current heatwave.
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The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) are fearful of discarded cigarettes and disposable barbecues causing blazes with temperatures in the high 30s turning rural areas into a tinderbox.

The message follows a number of reported field fires in recent days which have seen hundreds of acres of local harvest-ready crops going up in smoke just as farmers start harvesting.

NFU Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland county chairman, Joe Stanley, said: “At the most crucial time of year for the county’s arable farmers, and in these extremely hot and dry conditions, we are urging people to ensure their cigarettes and disposable barbecues are extinguished entirely before discarding.

“It is bone dry out there and all it takes is a lit cigarette flicked out of a car window to start a catastrophic fire that can decimate an entire crop - your food - and wildlife habitats.

“Our farmers are working hard to produce the food we all eat – help us to do it by taking that extra step to ensure you’re disposing your rubbish safely.”

Firefighters are working in difficult conditions wearing protective clothing in searing temperatures.

In a message to the public, a Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “It's still too hot for bonfires - the sparks can cause much bigger fires and it can get out of control very quickly. Please wait until everything is less dry.”

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