Teen ordered to attend fire safety course after farm blaze
© Essex Police A 15-year-old will attend a fire safety course and has apologised to a farmer after admitting to starting a fire beside hay bales on a north Essex farm.
The incident, which took place in the Braintree district, prompted an investigation by the Essex Police Rural Engagement Team.
Although the fire was extinguished before it could cause significant damage, police emphasised the serious risks involved.
See also: Farmers Weekly launches kids’ farm safety campaign
Investigating officer PC Luke Jones said: “The teenager admitted lighting the hay, but said they didn’t intend to start a big fire.
“Fortunately, the flames were put out before they could properly take hold, but arson can have devastating and heartbreaking consequences for farmers, with livestock injured or killed and buildings and machinery destroyed.”
PC Jones highlighted the increased fire risk this spring due to dry weather conditions.
“Hay is highly combustible, and even a small fire can spread very quickly into the surrounding countryside and become a wildfire, which would be catastrophic for the environment and local communities.”
Restorative justice
The teenager received a community resolution, a form of restorative justice that allows offenders to accept responsibility and make amends outside of court proceedings.
In this case, the resolution included an apology to the farmer and participation in the Fire Safety Intervention Scheme run by Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS).
The ECFRS scheme is a free service aimed at deterring young people displaying fire-setting behaviour.
“The farmer wanted the teenager to face up to what they had done and to learn what the effects of their actions could have been so, rather than go down the court route, we arranged for a community resolution instead,” said PC Jones.
“This brings home to the teenager the enormity of their actions while avoiding giving them a criminal record at a young age.”
Essex Police’s Rural Engagement Team works closely with local farmers to promote education and prevent similar incidents.