RICHARD PARR More than 50 firemen from all over Norfolk tackled a blaze late yesterday afternoon which spread across a 45-acre farm field.And the crews'combined efforts to contain the blaze within two hours was praised by the fire officer in charge at Hall Farm, Little Massingham.

RICHARD PARR

More than 50 firefighters tackled a blaze late yesterday afternoon which spread across a 45-acre farm field.

And the crews' combined efforts to contain the blaze within two hours were praised by the officer in charge at Hall Farm, Little Massingham.

Smoke could be seen from as far away as the top of Knights Hill on the outskirts of King's Lynn.

Station manager John Baker, of Lynn, in charge of the firefighting operation, said the crews from 10 stations did well in containing the blaze within two hours of the callout just after 4pm.

He said the first section of the blaze on the field of standing crop and stubble was extinguished fairly quickly but it broke out again in a corner of the field because of a change in wind direction.

He could not say what caused the blaze but described conditions as being "tinder dry".

As well as 10 fire appliances from stations including Massingham, Sandringham, King's Lynn, Wymondham and Swaffham, there was an 8,000-litre water bowser in attendance.

A farmer used his tractor to help create fire breaks.