Rise of farm fires from arson attacks sees insurers counting massive cost

In Scotland, farm fires insured by NFU Mutual alone totalled 1,348 and were worth £27m for the three years 2011-2013 - about £9m a year - demonstrating the massive scale of the problem when compared with the estimated £1.9m rural crime cost the Scottish economy in 2013 (a slight decrease from £2m in 2012).

The most common items taken in Scotland over the last 12 months were quad bikes, tools and fuel such as domestic heating oil and supplies of "red" diesel.

While farmers have had to become more security conscious about such items, as well as high-value possessions like tractors and farm livestock, a spate of arson attacks across the country is causing alarm.

Farmers in England are being warned to store bales of hay and straw away from public roads following a spate of field arson attacks. These fires can spread rapidly threatening buildings, livestock, machinery, and potentially human lives. Deliberate fire setting causes untold problems and the people involved do not give any thought to the consequences.

Tim Price, NFU Mutual rural affairs spokesman, said: "We've seen an alarming number of claims coming in for farm fires this summer - particularly for stacked hay and straw in barns and outdoor stacks. It may be that exceptionally dry conditions through July have led to stores of hay and straw being especially susceptible to catching fire from tractor exhaust sparks and dropped cigarette butts.

"This makes it important for farmers to make sure their workers are aware of the risks and are trained to follow safe procedures to evacuate people and stock in the event of a fire breaking out.

"We usually see a spike in arson attacks through August and September - so it's well worth fencing-off stacks where possible and keeping an eye out for suspicious characters hanging around. And, finally, whenever possible, keep tractors, combines, fuel and other expensive kit away from stored hay and straw.

"We haven't got a full picture of the number and severity of farm fires in July's timber-dry conditions, but it is already clear that there were an unusually high number of barn and straw stack fires in many parts of the country.

"Now that temperatures have dropped and rain has fallen over most areas, we hope to see fewer fires - but recommend that farmers continue to remain vigilant for possible causes of fires and stay alert to try and prevent arson attacks on farms."

It's not just hay and straw that goes on fire - expensive machinery like combine harvesters can also be affected.

To highlight that point, fire-fighters in the north-east of Scotland attended a series of farm machinery fires in a couple of hours one afternoon a fortnight ago. Almost ten fire appliances were called out to five separate incidents in just two hours. Three fires involved combine harvesters and two involved balers. The fires happened at farms in Banchory, Banff, Fochabers, Fyvie and St Katherines.

Spontaneous combustion of stored hay used to be a problem for my grandfather's generation before the practice of making silage became widespread. It's caused when hay is stacked either in a barn or outdoors while still damp. Typically the hay heats up from deep inside the stack a few weeks after it has been stacked and can become hot enough to go on fire.

When NFU Mutual was founded in 1910, hay fires caused by spontaneous combustion were a major hazard. In the absence of modern equipment to help bring in the harvest, farmers were even more at the mercy of the weather. Stored hay in barns and stacks was watched carefully for signs of overheating, but it proved difficult to tell when it was becoming dangerously hot.

To reduce the risk, NFU Mutual came up with a device called a hot-rick rod - a sharp metal probe containing a thermometer which could be thrust deep into a stack to check the temperature. A nationwide network of hot-rick rod inspectors was established who could be summoned by telegram to check stacks.