FARMERS are being advised to take extra precautions when baling hay this summer to avoid fires. The warning comes in the wake of a blaze last week at Pancrasweek in which more than 300 bales were destroyed when hay self-ignited in a barn. A crew from Holsworthy, along with two fire engines from Bude and a water carrier from Barnstaple, were called to Aldercott Farm after reports of around 400 bales of hay smouldering in the barn. Crews worked with the farmer to move the bales into a field where they were dampened down and a thermal imaging camera was used to determine the heat of the bales. Around 80% of the bales were severely damaged by smoke and fire, although the barn was untouched. Paul Slaven from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said the service had attended a few incidents of a similar nature, this year. For the full report, and a round up of the latest area news and sport, see this week's edition of the Post.