Firefighters called to blaze at Darlington farm

Emergency services were called to Baydale Farm on Coniscliffe Road at around 5.10pm.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service tackled the field fire for around 48 minutes.

A spokesperson said: “On Friday, July 17, at around 5.10pm, we were called to a fire in the open on Coniscliffe Road, Darlington.

“Our control room mobilised one fire appliance, which arrived at the scene within seven minutes and quickly extinguished the fire using high-pressure hose reels.

“The fire involved approximately 50sqm of grass and hay.

“The incident was safely dealt with, and crews left the scene at around 5.58pm.”

The fire service also gave a warning for people enjoying open countryside this summer, especially with the dry weather.

They said: “As we continue to experience warm and dry conditions, we would encourage people to take extra care when enjoying outdoor spaces.

“Even small fires can spread quickly and have a significant impact on the local environment and nearby communities.”

Baydale Farm put out its own post on social media, saying that the Pick Your Own flowers experience, which it’s unveiling for the 2026 season today (July 18), is unaffected by the incident.

They said: “With the incredibly hot and dry weather we’ve experienced this season, this could very easily have spread through the entire field within minutes.

“We’ve lost straw that we rely on for bedding for our livestock. It also posed a serious risk to anyone nearby, who could easily have been injured had the fire spread more quickly.

“A huge thank you to Darlington Fire and Rescue for their rapid response today.

“Harvest is challenging enough without unexpected incidents like this, and as we’re also busy preparing to open our Pick Your Own flowers tomorrow, it’s certainly been an eventful day.”