Fire crews tackle large cornfield blaze

Fire crews spent "several hours" tackling a large fire in a cornfield in South Yorkshire.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (SYFRS) sent five fire engines to the blaze in Nether Haugh, near Rawmarsh, Rotherham on Sunday.

The service said the fire on Back Lane involved a "field of cut corn and a hedgerow", with evidence of fly-tipping also found at the location.

Nick Grayson, who runs Nether Haugh Farm and who used a tractor to create a firebreak, said: "I ran as close as I could, turning soil on to it."

Grayson said the fear of the fire spreading to nearby buildings and a sports club had spurred him to get involved.

He added: "Once I'd got it under control, I put breaks in the next two fields in case it did light back up."

The cause of the fire in the field has not yet been established, but SYFRS asked people to leave "barbecues at home" and told residents not to have garden bonfires during the current "totally unsuitable" conditions.

In a post on Facebook, a spokesperson added: "Take rubbish with you and dispose of cigarettes carefully."

Meanwhile, people living at Nether Haugh told the BBC discarded household rubbish was a potential hazard, especially on hot sunny days.

Grayson said: "We get quite a bit of fly-tipping down this lane - whether it was that or just that everything's so dry.

"Just the slightest little thing at the moment and we're in a lot of trouble."

Grayson urged visitors to the countryside to "be vigilant, act responsibly and keep your eyes peeled".

SYFRS also responded to another large fire at an industrial estate in Doncaster on Saturday.

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