NFU Mutual has issued a farm fire warning as Cumbria and the rest of the UK braces for a potential drought. 

Farm fires cost almost £100m in 2021, according to NFU Mutual claims estimates. 

The cost of agricultural machinery fires also exceeded £37m in 2021, with combine fire claims shooting up by 35 per cent. 

Evita van Gestel of NFU Mutual Risk Management Services Ltd said: "We know that long periods of hot, dry weather, like that predicted for the coming weeks, increase the risk of dangerous and destructive fires on our farms.

"Dusty, tinder dry conditions combined with hot moving parts, lots of electrical wiring and a tank full of diesel provide everything that is needed to turn a spark into a violent fire.

"Not only can this result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of agricultural machinery, but it can also damage or destroy nearby crops and buildings and disrupt harvest at a time when farmers can least afford it."

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