Praise for firefighters after devastating combine harvester fire which set fields alight
Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles
Firefighters and farmers have been praised for preventing a combine harvester blaze from escalating.
Cllr Lisa Birkett, Conservative member for Titchfield, said crews “reacted speedily to the situation” as the fire spread across fields off Meon Road, near Titchfield. The blaze took hold of the farmland at approximately 5pm on Monday.
Cllr Birkett said: “I would like to say thank you to all the firefighters who took part in tackling the fire yesterday involving a combine harvester, speedily reacting to the situation along with the farmers, and preventing any possible escalation.
“With the dry weather, we must all be vigilant and report any signs of fire to the emergency service, making sure not to endanger ourselves in the process.
“I am glad to hear that nobody was injured and that Meon Road reopened safely.”
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed on Tuesday that the blaze was extinguished following the efforts of around 40 firefighters.
The incident started when a combine harvester caught fire, initially spreading to one field before extending into a second.
At its height, around 30 hectares of standing crop were affected. No injuries were reported, and the road has since reopened.
A fire service spokeswoman said: “Crews used multiple hose reel jets to extinguish the blaze, while farm machinery was used to create fire breaks and help stop the fire from spreading further.
“Thank you to everyone who avoided the area while we dealt with the incident, and to our emergency service partners for their support.”
Meon Road was closed by police during the fire.
Fire engines from Fareham, Gosport, Portchester, Wickham and Cosham were deployed alongside specialist vehicles and crews from Eastleigh, Havant, Lyndhurst, Hardley, Beaulieu and Andover, as well as the Incident Command Unit from service headquarters.
Smoke could be seen from the M27 and for miles around.