Gone in minutes: Redditch farmer's crop up in flames as spark starts blaze - The Redditch Standard

Gone in minutes: Redditch farmer's crop up in flames as spark starts blaze

Redditch Editorial 31st Jul, 2019   0

A FARMER watched in horror as his 15 acre field of winter barley was consumed by fire on Monday this week, July 29.

Award-winning farmer Sam Jones was at the controls of his combine harvester at Brookhouse Farm in nearby Ham Green when the cutting blade hit a stone, striking a spark which ignited the straw on the harvester.

“It was frightening – the spark of it caught the straw which was as dry as tinder and up it went,” said Sam.

As Sam quickly drive the combine harvester to safety and put the fire on it out, behind him the field was a raging inferno.




“I looked behind me and there was a wall of fire as the field went up in flames,” he said.

And he praised the response of the firefighters who raced to the scene to put the blaze out.


“The first one to arrive was our very own council leader Matt Dormer who is also a Watch Commander at Redditch fire station,” said Sam.

“He immediately took control and the firefighters got to work – they were fantastic.”

Luckily the crop – valued at between £8,000 and £9,000 was also insured and the NFU were quickly on the scene to assess the damage and arrange compensation.

“It was a terrifying experience. Everything was as dry as a bone and it all went up in minutes. One spark and the rest is history,” said Sam.

A spokesperson for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said the alarm was raised just after 4pm and firefighters from Redditch, Droitwich, Bromsgrove and Worcester responded, sending six appliances to fight the blaze.

A relief crew arrived at 6pm and the blaze was completely damped down by 10.13pm.

Sam won gold at last year’s British Farming Awards for his innovative approach to sheep farming.

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