Firefighters at scene of huge blaze at Derbyshire farm

The service received a call just before 1.40pm yesterday to attend a farm on Alfreton Lane, Westhouses.

Firefighters from Alfreton, Staveley and Ripley remain on scene damping down 300 tonnes of rubbish and wood.

Station manager, Richard Wort, said: “Due to the large amount of material that has been burning, it is anticipated that firefighters will remain on scene for at least the next 24 hours and will continue to have a monitoring presence until the incident is concluded.

“We are working closely with both the Environment Agency and Environmental Health teams to bring the incident to a speedy and safe conclusion. In the meantime I would encourage any local residents to keep their windows and doors closed where possible until the smoke has passed.”

A fire investigation has determined that the fire was started accidently.