Firefighters tackle blaze involving 100 hay bales near Semley Common

Two farm tractors were also used to help tackle the blaze

Author: Maria GreenwoodPublished 27th Oct 2022

Firefighters have been tackling a fire involving around 100 bales of hay near Shaftesbury.

Two fire crews from Shaftesbury Fire Station and a land rover pump from Blandford were sent to a report of a fire near Semley Common yesterday afternoon.

They requested an additional fire appliance and a water carrier.

Another fire crew was then sent from Gillingham and a water carrier was sent from Wilton.

Two farm tractors were also used to help put the fire out.

A spokesperson for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said:

"The fire is being allowed to burn out under control, so firefighters are focusing on protecting the area that isn’t involved in fire. The farmer has also been using his machinery to create a fire break.

"We’ve maintained a one pump watching brief overnight, and will be reviewing our strategy later this morning. No exact cause but we believe it started accidentally."

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.