Large field fire in village sends clouds of smoke to nearby towns

The fire service says it received many calls from the public about the blaze in a field near Lancott Bury Close which led to smoke drifting into Dunstable and Houghton Regis.

Fire control received the first call about the fire in a cut crop at 12.39 pm afternoon and mobilised firefighters from Dunstable to deal with it, who arrived ten minutes later.

Due to the size of the fire, which covered 15 hectares, fire engines from Dunstable, Toddington, Leighton Buzzard, Shefford and Sandy attended the incident supported by another pump from Hitchin and the Toddington Water Carrier.

Firefighters used farm machinery to spread out the cut crop and fire hoses and beaters to attack the fire. They made good progress in extinguishing the flames and by 2.34pm they had subdued the fire and put it out.

Reader Jamie Norman, who sent us some pictures of the blaze, said: “We live by Brewers Hill School, I glanced out of the window and the sky was black so went for a wonder to see what is was.

“I thought it was the field directly behind us, but followed the smoke and found the source a few fields away by Totternhoe.”