Farm and ag vehicle fires cost UK over £140m last year

Despite the 18% fall in the number of farm fire claims involving growing crops, buildings and farm equipment reported to NFU Mutual last year, the cost remained high. This has promoted calls for farmers to remain vigilant around the ongoing issue.

The leading causes of farm fires were electrical faults, arson and lightning strikes, the insurer confirmed.

Fire damage to agricultural vehicles also cost an estimated £37 million. Last year’s cool and wet summer, coupled with farmers holding onto vehicles for longer and moving away from purchasing new vehicles, resulting in a likely lower replacement value, may have contributed to the reduction of combine harvester costs, down 52% to an estimated £3.5 million.

However, the previous two years saw the cost of combine harvester fires soar, at an estimated £11 million and £7.4 million, respectively.

The insurer explained it is vital that rural communities are not complacent, especially as each year, hundreds of combines, tractors, and balers are still lost to fire, along with thousands of acres of valuable crops.

Protecting rural communities

Hannah Binns, NFU Mutual’s rural affairs specialist, said: “Back in 1910, seven farmers became frustrated at the losses caused by sparks from the nearby steam-powered railway, which often set haystacks ablaze.

“This collective developed into NFU Mutual, and more than a century on, fire remains a constant risk to UK farms, with dangerous and devasting farmfires becoming all too common.

“These fires not only endanger the lives of farmers, farmworkers and their families but can destroy months or years of hard work, with long-lasting consequences for agricultural businesses, structurally and financially.

“Beyond the immediate damage, the emotional toll of a farm fire can be significant, as individuals come to terms with the trauma and the added strain on an already demanding job.”

Ms Binns also noted that farm fires can also cause disruption to local communities, damaging essential infrastructure such as power lines and overhead cables, and causing road closures that interrupt vital services.

NFU Mutual strongly recommends fitting fire suppression systems to high-risk kit, such as combine harvesters. These systems, commonplace in other industries like forestry, are highly effective at stopping small fires from spreading and engulfing the entire machine.

NFU Mutual offers an insurance discount to policyholders who have combines with the approved fire suppression kits installed.

Ms Binns added: “To minimise the risk of a farm blaze, it’s vital that farmers develop a detailed fire plan, outlining how to evacuate safely, ensuring buildings are secure, managing livestock, and keeping machinery properly serviced and clean.

“Farm fires continue to put those who produce our food at risk, just as they did over 100 years ago. But together, we can protect our rural communities. We hope this report highlights the impact farm fires have on lives and livelihoods and sparks meaningful conversations about best practice and prevention.”

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