Telehandlers and a baler catch fire on south west farms

On Friday night (September 17) the fires service was called just after 9pm to a telehandler on fire in the middle of a field in East Portlemouth near Salcombe.

The farmer has been trying to get his hay undercover before the rain started.

The telehandler was in the middle of a dry field. Picture: Kingsbridge Fire Station

The field was a field away from the road and current policies advise against taking fire appliances into dry cut fields due to the potential for hot exhausts, which are low to the ground, to ignite dry vegetation.

However, the officer in charge took the decision for a fire engine to enter the field to prevent a rapid escalation of the incident.

This decision was made taking into account the distance from the road to the fire, the effectiveness of action by the crew alone and on the travelling times for sufficient additional crews to arrive.

Fire fighters dampened down the ground under the fire engine's exhaust system before tackling the fire.

Despite their best efforts fighting the fire, the telehandler was destroyed in the accidental fire.

A spokesperson for Kingsbridge Fire Station said: "After damping down the area we left the scene in the hands of the farmer and returned to home stations.

"We hope the farmer is able to get the rest of his hay dry and undercover soon."

Earlier that day crews were mobilised to a baler on fire in the middle of a field in Curland, near Taunton.

At 2.37pm the farmer called in the emergency and, on arrival, fire crews confirmed that the baler was well alight - but also a large area of grass.

Crews worked to bring the fire under control and preventing it from spreading any further.

This morning (September 22) at 9.21am crews were called to reports of a Manitou telehandler on fire in Foxham, near Chippenham.

Unfortunately, the vehicle was completely destroyed by fire.