Doncaster fields deliberately set alight weeks after fires ravaged South Yorkshire

Firefighters say a large blaze on agricultural land in South Yorkshire – less than three weeks after the county was ravaged by fire – was started deliberately.

Crews from Thorne, Edlington, Doncaster and Adwick were called to Stainforth, Doncaster, on Thursday night, 4 August.

Several farmers' fields, thought to be around 200 sq m in total, were caught up in the blaze.

A South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, we think it was started deliberately."

The incident was one of three incidents on Thursday night that the brigade described as being deliberate fires in the open.

Elsewhere a grassland fire started at 7.45pm on Barrowfield Road, Thurnscoe, Barnsley.

A crew was also called to a deliberate fire involving trees and scrubland on Beldon Road, Sheffield, at 9.35pm.

The incidents come after large parts of South Yorkshire were heavily damaged by fire on 19 July, as temperatures hit 40C on the UK's hottest ever day.

A number of houses were destroyed in the Rotherham and Barnsley areas after wildfires spread to properties.

It forced the emergency services to declare a major incident as resources were stretched to the limit.

The fire and rescue service is asking anyone with information about the latest incidents to call its Fire Stoppers line, anonymously, on 0800 169 5558.