Suffolk field fire destroys seven acres of crop
21st July 2022
Six fire crews attended a field fire on the outskirts of Ipswich at around 8pm on Wednesday evening (20th July). Around seven acres of wheat and 200m of hedgerow were ablaze from 8pm, however Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service managed to get the fire under control quickly.
Station manager Matt Webster said that the “crews worked tirelessly in the heat to get an early stop on the fire”.
The fields surround several properties, including the Farmers Guide office. FG’s Greg Goulding attended the office at around 9pm to check on the property, at which time the fire had been extinguished, although crews were checking gardens to ensure the fire hadn’t spread.
Greg commented: “It’s so saddening for the farmer that he’s lost his crop just days before harvest. But the fire crews did such a great job of getting it under control so quickly, certainly reducing lost crop and stopping it spreading to the neighbouring properties. Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service did an amazing job working in such difficult conditions.”
2022 has seen an exceptional number of field fires due to the record-breaking temperatures drying out the crops. Farmers are being advised to combine some crops at night when it’s cooler and there’s more moisture in the air, although this won’t always be possible.
The fields on the outskirts of Ipswich were ablaze from around 8pm. Image: Twitter/MaxiWardley
Around seven acres of wheat was lost.
Drone footage captured the extent of the damage.
