FIREFIGHTERS from Nether Stowey and Wellington were called to help tackle two dramatic agricultural field fires in separate locations on the edge of the Quantock Hills on Friday and Saturday (April 19 and 20).

The Saturday incident was when nine acres of standing crops caught alight in the Nailsbourne area, near the village of Kingston St Mary.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue (DSFR) mobilised crews from Taunton, Bridgwater, Yeovil, and Wellington to the blaze, which was reported by several people at just after 2.30 pm.

The crews found the crops were well alight when they arrived and immediately set about using main jets and beaters and also created a fire break with the help of farm machinery.

Three fire engines, two off-road vehicles, and a water bowser were in attendance.

The fire was eventually put out after more than two hours, by which time 90 per cent of the crops had been damaged by the flames and smoke.

DSFR fire investigation officers decided the blaze had started by accident.

The Wellington fire fighters were also called out on Friday morning after farm machinery caught alight and the flames rapidly spread to a 14-acre field of crops near Broomfield.

Nether Stowey, Taunton, and Bridgwater were also mobilised for the Broomfield incident, which began shortly before 11.30 am after a farm forager had caught on fire.

Two fire engines and a water bowser were initially sent but the crews found on arrival that the fire had already spread to the field of crops and they requested two more fire engines and two off-road vehicles to be called up.

High winds fuelled the fire, which was eventually put out with the use of two hose reel jets and a main jet.

The forager was 20 per cent damaged by fire and the crop field suffered 70 per cent damage and the cause was again accidental.

Wellington firefighters provided standby cover in Taunton throughout the Broomfield incident and completed a busy day when they dealt with a third emergency, a car on fire on Corfe Hill, on the edge of the Blackdown Hills.