The number of farm fires shot up by 21% last year to £83.5m as the unprecedented heat wave hit the country, new figures by NFU Mutual show.
Combine fires also doubled in number and cost following the tinder-dry harvest conditions, which saw temperatures hit 40°C for the first time.
The rural insurer dealt with over 2,200 farm fire claims involving growing crops, buildings and farm equipment in 2022, compared to over 1,800 in 2021.
In addition, agricultural vehicle fire claims, recorded separately by NFU Mutual, increased by 13% last year.
Of this, combine harvesters were the farm vehicles hardest hit by harvest fires, with the number of fires doubling in 2022 to 258.
Higher repair and replacement costs led to a rise of 211% to £11.1 million in the value of combine fire claims.
With summers set to become hotter in the future, NFU Mutual said farmers should prepare a comprehensive farm fire prevention plan and fit fire suppressors to combines.
Hannah Binns, NFU Mutual rural affairs specialist, said: “The huge increase in the number of farm fires in 2022 compared to 2021 highlights how important it is for farmers to prepare for very hot and dry summers in the future.
“For weeks on end last summer, the countryside was so dry that a spark or overheating combine bearing could lead to a fire, engulfing the machine and spreading to the surrounding crops.
“Farmers did a great job putting in place bowsers of water in their fields so fires could be tackled quickly, and ploughing fire breaks across fields to stop fires spreading – but even these measures weren’t enough to prevent hundreds of combines, tractors and balers, together with thousands of acres of crops, being destroyed.
“Farm fires put lives at risk as well as causing disruptive and devastating damage to rural businesses, so it is essential farmers have fire plans in place.”
How can I improve fire safety?
NFU Mutual has issued a fire safety guide for farmers to follow:
• Have a plan in place – Put people at the heart of your fire plan and ensure everyone on site knows what to do in the event of a fire.
• Don’t mess with electrics - Electrical faults are a major cause of farm fires and electric shocks can cause death or severe injury.
• Suppress the risk – Suppression systems are a major game changer for the industry and play a critical role in detecting, containing and extinguishing fire.
• Keep on top of your housekeeping – Good housekeeping is absolutely essential to ensure materials and machinery are stored correctly and to eliminate dust and debris.
• Control hot work – Welding, cutting or grinding equipment, along with blow lamps and blow torches can produce sparks which can turn into fires if they hit a combustible material.
