Firefighters have been praised for their swift response after a fire broke out in a freshly harvested field in Wellington this evening (Friday.

The blaze started in a bale of straw in Fox's Field shortly after contractors had finished baling and left the site, prompting fears that the fire could quickly spread across the dry field.

Residents and Wellington Town Council have thanked Wellington Fire Station for bringing the incident under control before it developed into a much larger blaze.

A witness said a group of young people had allegedly set fire to one of the bales.

Mandy Foster said on Facebook the area had been "very, very lucky" to avoid a much more serious incident.

She said: "The whole Fox's Field could have caught alight. Thanks to a quick-thinking neighbour and Anita from Transition Town, the fire brigade were called and were on the scene quickly and got the fire under control.

"While waiting for them we saw just how fast the fire took hold. It was awful."

She urged parents to speak to their children about the dangers of playing with fire, adding that a witness had seen what happened and the relevant authorities had been informed.

Wellington Town Council said its contractor had "literally just finished baling up and had left the site" when the fire started.

In a statement, the council said: "Luckily Anita from Transition Town was on site and the fire brigade were called and arrived in ten minutes. If she hadn't been it would have been a lot worse.

"Huge thanks to Wellington Fire Station for their rapid response."

The council also appealed to parents to warn children and young people about the dangers of setting fires, saying the current dry conditions meant the blaze could easily have spread across the field with potentially disastrous consequences.