Warning over rise in farm fires as insurance claim for blazes tops £95m amid arson fears

Electrical faults were the biggest known cause of blazes for 2021, but, large-scale farm arson attacks have shot up from £4.7m in 2020 to £8.4m in 2021 with initial claims analysis suggesting more incidents taking place this year.

Biomass boiler fires also continued to increase last year as many installations begin to age.

A further analysis of the figures show that for the NFU Mutual’s North East region, which covers Yorkshire, farm fire incidents that had been reported had increased by more than 60 per cent.

It is the second biggest increase across the country.

Farm fire claims for 2020 were at £9.3m while last year they were valued at £15m.

NFU Mutual Rural Affairs Specialist Hannah Binns said: “We are very concerned about the rise in number of arson attacks, which is a frightening prospect considering farms are not only farmers’ place of work but often their family home.

“We are urging everyone to be on their guard and improve their security to help prevent their business going up in smoke.”

The North East was the area with the second biggest increase in farm fires, behind The Midlands, which recorded an increase in farm fires of more than 80 per cent for 2021 compared to 2020.

In 2020, farm fires were valued at £6.5m and £11.7m for last year.