Farmer warning after seven suspected arson attacks in two nights

Seven suspected arson attacks in two nights have prompted a Cambridgeshire beef farmer to warn that deliberate fires could have devastating consequences for rural communities.

Fire crews and local farmers were called to fields and hedgerows near Peterborough after a series of blazes broke out during hot, dry weather.

Cambridgeshire Police and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service believe the fires were started deliberately.

Third-generation beef farmer Judith Jacobs, of Moor Farm, Glinton, near Peterborough, said the incidents had put people, livestock, wildlife, homes and farm businesses in danger.

Mrs Jacobs said her farm had suffered similar incidents last summer and warned that the latest fires were particularly dangerous because of the hot, dry conditions.

“Sadly, we experienced similar incidents several times last summer, and this kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable,” she said.

“With the current hot and dry weather, these fires pose a serious risk.

“They also place unnecessary pressure on our fire service, wasting valuable time, resources and water at a time when they are already extremely busy.”

Six fires were reported at around 8pm on 28 June in fields and hedgerows around Moor Farm, between Peakirk and Glinton.

A seventh fire was reported at about 10.30pm the following evening, when a derelict caravan containing tyres was set alight in a lay-by on Gunthorpe Road, near Barn Garden Centre.

Firefighters, helped by local farmers, prevented the fires from taking hold in the dry conditions.

The warning comes as NFU Mutual’s first Farm Fires Report estimated that farm fires cost £102 million in 2024, with the rural insurer warning that blazes remain one of the most destructive and dangerous threats facing agricultural businesses.

Although claims involving crops, buildings and farm equipment fell by 18%, the financial impact remained severe, with fire damage to agricultural vehicles adding a further £37 million.

Mrs Jacobs thanked firefighters for their swift response and said she is offering a reward for information leading to the identification of those responsible.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service warned that farms are especially vulnerable to arson because of their isolated locations, open boundaries and combustible materials such as hay and straw.

Mrs Jacobs urged anyone with CCTV footage or information to contact the authorities.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact Cambridgeshire Police by submitting an online report, or to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.