A police investigation has been launched following a fire in East Cambridgeshire which caused more than £50,000 worth of damage.
Firefighters were called at around 8.30pm on Thursday, August 15 to the scene on Hod Hall Lane in Haddenham where around 1,000 tonnes of straw were alight.
Relief crews from Sutton and Cambridgeshire, as well as units from Chatteris and Cottenham, were tasked with dousing the flames.
Operation Armitage, launched by Cambridgeshire Police's Rural Crime Action Team, have taken on this case and are appealing for any information.
DC Tom Nuttall said: "During the summer months, we often see an increase in stack fires, when hay bales are deliberately set on fire.
"This particular incident caused a significant amount of damage and has cost the landowner thousands of pounds.
"To help prevent stack fires, farm workers are urged to store hay away from the road and keep fuel, fertilisers and pesticides under lock and key.
"We are working closely with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service to prevent and tackle this type of criminality and I would urge anyone with information to get in touch."
A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Arson is a serious crime and can have severe consequences for those involved.
"Any fire presents significant risks for anyone around the area, as well as for our firefighters sent to tackle them."
Anyone with info is asked to report online at http://cambs.police.uk/report quoting 35/58392/19 or call 101.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here