Petworth firefighters join seven crews to battle blaze

Firefighters from Petworth joined crews from across two counties to battle an eight-hectare crop fire caused by an overheating baler.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Sep 2015, 16:56 BST

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It took more than two hours to get the West Ashling blaze under control on Sunday (September 6).

“They did a good job stopping it spreading into the second field,” said deputy district commander Mark Swanton.

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Firefighters from Petworth, Littlehampton, Selsey, Bognor Regis, Havant, Fareham and Petersfield were all called to the scene.

Mr Swanton said the fire was caused by the machinery overheating.

“It set the rows of straw alight and also the stubble in the field,” he said. “The fire also went over a hedge into an adjacent field and the crews managed to stop it.

“Once it gets going it goes very quickly across the field.”

The brigade was called at 2.10pm and it was 4.35pm before everything was extinguished.

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Related topics:PetworthLittlehamptonSelseyBognor RegisHavantFarehamTwitter