Call for farmers to help put fires out (From Hereford Times)
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Call for Herefordshire farmers to help put fires out
1:30pm Thursday 13th September 2012 in News
FARMERS have been asked to carry fire fighting equipment after four farm fires in the space of two days.
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service has made the plea after rescue teams dealt with three fires last Wednesday - a farm near Ledbury to deal with burning stubble; to Pencoyd near St Owen’s Cross to extinguish a blazing baler; then to a hay fire in a field in Cock Croft near Leominster .
The previous day crews were called to two combine harvester on fire near Tenbury Wells on the Shropshire border.
"We recognise farmers will be making the most of this prolonged spell of dry weather but we’d urge them to take regular breaks if using agricultural machinery to try to avoid the risk of such an incident occurring," said Station Commander Adrian Thompson.
Oliver Cartwright, of the National Farmer’s Union, said farmers should be given training if they are to put fires out safely.