A large crop fire destroyed around eight acres of farmland at Hunsterson on Thursday evening, prompting a significant response from Cheshire and Shropshire firefighters.

Crews were called to Pewit Lane at 5.08pm on 16 July after reports of a large fire in a crop field near Nantwich.

Five fire engines attended the incident from Nantwich, Crewe (two appliances), Alsager and Whitchurch, supported by a water bowser.

At the height of the incident, the blaze had spread across approximately eight acres of the field. Firefighters tackled the flames from the edges using hose reels and beaters while farm machinery created fire breaks to prevent the fire spreading into neighbouring fields.

Once the main fire had been brought under control, crews wearing breathing apparatus used a hose reel to extinguish a tractor that had been damaged by the blaze.

The fire is believed to have started accidentally after sunlight reflected from a piece of glass in the field, igniting the dry crop.

With warm, dry conditions increasing the risk of countryside fires during the summer months, incidents like this highlight how quickly agricultural land can become engulfed and the importance of rapid action to protect crops, machinery and neighbouring farmland.