Stock image of a farm fire DORSET & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging farmers to remember the importance of maintenance schedules in a bid to reduce fires. Every year, the Service is called to deal with numerous fires involving farm machinery, hay bales, fields and barns. Group Manager Graham Kewley said: “As the harvest goes on, farmers are working long, hard hours and it’s easy to let chaff and dust build up in the machines, which can then catch fire if parts of the combine then overheat. “The problem is compounded when machinery is worked extra hard between periods of inclement weather, or when crops are harvested and stored in less-than-ideal conditions. Baling hay that is damp can create a real fire hazard, as this can lead to heat build-up and eventual self-combustion within the bale.”