Fires cost south west farmers £18.2m as Dorset crews tackle major blazes

Farm fires in southwest England cost £18.2 million, according to figures published by NFU Mutual. The region recorded the second-highest losses from farm fires in the UK last year, even though costs fell by 20% from an estimated £22.8 million in 2024. The report points to multiple Dorset incidents over the past year, including a blaze involving around 1,000 tonnes of hay at a barn near Briantspuddle in July and a baler fire near Fleet that produced a large smoke plume over the Weymouth and Dorchester area. Other events included machinery-driven field fires near Cheselbourne, a crop fire at Kingston Russell near Bridport, and the destruction of about 2,000 hay bales at East Lulworth, which is under police investigation.