FARMERS who saw three fields of crops wiped out by fire have said they will continue to feel 'nervous' until there is substantial rainfall.

The blaze in barley fields at Ewelme Down Farm, near Wallingford on Saturday ignited by accident, possibly because of a spark underneath a combine harvester.

Some 8,000 pigs, a waste management plant and luxury lodges were only saved by the quick actions of fellow farmers and firefighters who managed to contain the blaze by ploughing fields.

Rachel Wallis, who runs the Chiltern View lodges on the family-run farm, said she came very close to losing her whole business.

She added: "I was on the farm at the time and my older brother called and said there was a fire and I needed to evacuate all my guests.

"At the time it was moving very quickly across the dry fields and we didn’t know how far it would spread.

"It all started from nothing, if we did not have the help of our neighbours it would have been a lot worse.

"It is scary, until all the crops are in we are going to be nervous.

"I came so close to losing everything, I don't want to have to start all over again."