FARMERS have been put on fire alert following a sharp rise in the recorded economic impact of farm fires.

Rural insurer NFU Mutual has called on farmers to check their fire prevention and evacuation procedures, after its claims statistics revealed that the cost of farm fires rose by an alarming 14% to £47.9million in 2015.

The most common cause was electrical faults, which were responsible for almost half of 2015 fire claims, followed by arson and mechanical faults.

The Mutual statistics reveal that the south of England and East Anglia were the worst affected regions, followed by North east England with North west England in third place. The insurer's rural affairs specialist, Tim Price, said: "Fire remains one of the greatest hazards to the lives of farmers and with claims peaking in August and September, it’s important to be alert to the risks and have plans prepared and shared with family members and staff.

“The scale of these claims shows how important it is to take all possible steps to prevent fires breaking out, and to have clear plans to evacuate people and livestock safely in the event of a fire. Also, it’s vital to make sure you have the right sort of fire extinguishers maintained in good order so you can fight small fires safely.”