FIREFIGHTERS tackled a fire at a farm in Blandford this morning after hay bales caught alight.
A concerned farmer called the fire service around 9am after hay bales in the Stubhampton barn started to combust. Two fire engines attended the scene and extinguished 84 big square bales of hay using two hose reel jets.
A spokesperson for Dorset Fire and Rescue Service said: “They were removed by the farmer using mechanical means under fire service supervision. The fire caused 75% damage to the hay bales by smoke and fire.
“The fire is believed to have started from the spontaneous combustion of wet hay,” they added.
While dealing with the incident, the farmer also raised concerns regarding another barn that contained hay bales from the same batch. One fire appliance attended the second barn and the farmer, again under supervision, removed approximately 25 bales of hay. Crews were standing by with a hose reel jet as a precautionary measure.
