An investigation into a straw stack fire, which saw 600 large bales destroyed in a Northamptonshire field, is underway.听
The straw, weighing 300t and owned by livestock fibre feed manufacturer Sundown Products, had only been stacked on Saturday August 28 and was due to be moved from its location south of the A14 near Thrapston.听
The incident took place between Monday August 30 and Tuesday August 31, with Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service called at 7.20am after smoke was seen from the A14.听
David Cubitt, director at Sundown Products, said: "A straw听stack听fire is always very upsetting, and even though the听straw was insured it is so frustrating for our team who have worked so hard this harvest to bale our straw听from local farmers.
"We are grateful that nobody was hurt and extend our thanks to those that reported the fire and the Thrapston, Kettering and Rushden fire crews that worked quickly to extinguish it and prevent the fire from spreading."听
While the stack represented approximately one and a half to two days-worth of production at Sundown's manufacturing facility, Mr Cubitt reassured customers that supplies of its Nutritionally Improved Straw (NIS) feed product and poultry bedding were unaffected.
"Although it looked like a large stack, it was quite a small amount of bales for our production facility," he said.
"Our customers can be reassured that supplies of NIS are unaffected.
"We are still taking orders for winter feed, and poultry bedding deliveries are continuing as normal."
