Field fire in Westoning caused by squirrel chewing though cables

The fire took place near a pylon yesterday afternoon.

Fire crews say a squirrel chewed through high-voltage electricity cables
Author: Henry WinterPublished 23rd Aug 2022

We've seen a large number of field fires across the country this summer - but the latest, near Luton, was apparently caused by a squirrel!

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue crews were called to fields at Toddington Road in Westoning just after 4pm yesterday.

Officials say the animal caused a spark when chewing through high-voltage cables close to a pylon.

It took firefighters more than three hours to get the fire under control.

Fire services across the country have been battling regular field fires in recent months, owing to the hot, dry weather conditions.

Between 8th-15th August, Beds Fire and Rescue received 134 calls about blazes in the open - 114 more than in the same period last year.

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