Combine harvester fire warning as next heatwave due

Owners of combine harvesters have been warned about potential fires in hot, dry weather, as another heatwave is due to hit.

Cleveland Fire Brigade said crews from Hartlepool and Stockton were called to a blaze involving a combine harvester at a farm in Dalton Piercy on 2 August.

The fire service warned that in hot, dry weather, incidents involving agricultural machinery can become more common, with combine harvesters "containing a number of concealed areas where fire can spread unseen".

Parts of the UK could be heading its fifth this week, with temperatures possibly reaching the mid-30s in some places.

It comes as the UK Health Security Agency has issued yellow heat health alerts for most of England, including Teesside, until 21:00 BST on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Environment Agency has suggested that "several areas" of England could enter drought status as "public water supplies remain under increasing pressure with continued dry weather and high demand".

The brigade said the "hidden hotspots" which include engine compartments, belt systems, bearings, hydraulic components and accumulations of dry crop material, can make extinguishing fires challenging.

It urged those working in agriculture to regularly inspect and clean machinery, to check bearings and moving parts and to carry fire extinguishers.

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