A farming couple say they will be 'forever grateful' for the hero farmers who jumped to their rescue and helped stop a wildfire threatening their home.

Phil Monkman and wife Abi believe they were just minutes away from 'game over' after a blaze came terrifyingly close to the North Yorkshire farm where they live with their two daughters.

Their experience echoes that of two hero farmers who were hailed for putting their lives at risk to stop flames reaching a housing estate in the Woodthorpe area of York on Sunday afternoon.

In the case of the Monkman family, the incident began as a small wildfire a few fields away but within a short while had engulfed swathes of dry land, with thick black smoke swirling around the house and farm buildings.

Phil's father and a contractor attempted to create a firebreak - a gap in the vegetation to stop the flames - with their combine harvesters, but were swiftly outpaced by the sheer speed of the inferno.

The fire, which broke out near Malton on July 9 amid the UK's third official heatwave, prompted Abi to issue an urgent plea on social media for other local farmers to help them.

She wrote: 'Is there anyone who can please come to ours and pull a plow to sort a fire break? Putting it on for the fire brigade. As many as possible!! Please share and please please help,' she wrote in desperation.

The couple later posted again to report they had been 'really blown away' by the support they received, adding: Without everybody rallying together, we have no doubt that we would have lost our home'.

Phil Monkman and wife Abi believe they were just minutes away from 'game over' after a blaze came terrifying close to the North Yorkshire farm where they live with their two daughters

Abi Monkman, pictured with her husband Phil, issued an urgent plea on social media for other local farmers to help save their home from the incoming inferno

A picture posted by Abi after the blaze shows the extent of the fire and the land left scorched

Abi wrote a day after the blaze: 'When s*** hits the fan; the spirit of farmers and country people really shines through. We really cannot thank everyone enough for all that they did yesterday.

'A simple plea for help on Facebook saw farmers down tools and come to help us, and we will be forever grateful to all of you that did - from people evacuating horses and dogs, helping empty the house of sentimental stuff, discing up land for fire breaks and bringing tankers of water…… the amount of people offering help has really blown us away.

'Biggest of thanks to the fire service who do an incredible job, and work tirelessly to keep everyone safe.'

Britain has experienced an 'exceptionally' high risk of wildfires throughout July following a two-week heatwave and no rain for a month in some areas. Wind speeds picked up earlier this week which also led to heightened concerns about new blazes erupting.

Speaking to BBC News about their experience, Phil and Abi revealed how they felt 'helpless' as they watched the flames creeping towards their family home.

Abi said: 'The reality that it's so close to the house, that you could lose your house and not get your valuables out, it was pretty terrifying.'

'Certainly, if it wasn't for farmers, I've no doubt we would have lost our home.'

Her husband meanwhile said he had been left feeling anxious every time the temperatures surge because of the risk of another wildfire.

'You're always checking your wing mirrors and thinking, 'is that the smell of smoke or not?', said Phil.

Thankfully there was not a large financial loss for the couple, who said that much of the corn they grow on their farm had already been harvested - but their supplies of straw for local livestock farmers have been affected.

Farmer Eleanor Gilbert praised the actions of her hero colleague who used his combine harvester to create a firebreak destroying a field at their Berkshire farm on Sunday

Farmer Dan Willis can be seen in footage deftly operating his combine harvester to create a firebreak around the flames

Eleanor, pictured holding an extinguisher, said there could have been a 'very different outcome' if the fire brigade had not brought the flames under control

Elsewhere, farmer Eleanor Gilbert praised the actions of her hero colleague who used his combine harvester to create a firebreak destroying a field at their Berkshire farm on Sunday.

Posting to social media, Eleanor - who uses the social media handle Berkshire Farm Girl - said the fire erupted amid 'incredibly dry conditions', adding the area only had just under 30mm of rain since March.

She paid tribute to her co-worker Dan Willis, who can be seen in footage deftly operating his combine harvester to create a firebreak around the flames.

In the minute-long video taken from inside the farm vehicle, Dan can be heard warning Eleanor about the surrounding flames: 'We're not going to go up there - we're not gonna make it. If we have to go fast, we'll go fast.

He then manoeuvres the vehicle around the fire and tells her: 'I'll cut it [the crop] right to the ground here, let's slow it up.'

But as the flames creep closer, Dan acknowledges the blaze is at risk of swiftly being out of control.

'You're not going to stop it now, I can tell you that,' he can be heard saying as black smoke billows across the field.

Following the incident, Eleanor thanked her co-workers and firefighters for their heroic efforts.

'It could have been a very different outcome,' she said.

Speaking to Daily Mail, she said the situation was 'pretty scary' given the flames were close to 50 acres of crop, as well as a local school.

'If the fire had got out of hand, and we weren't able to slow it down and the fire brigade weren't able to stop the flames, it could have been a totally different story.

'In the heat of the moment we all tried to stay calm, we tried to cut very close to the crop floor to try and create that firebreak and we used three fire extinguishers to slow it right down.

'We almost thought we had it out but then it caught the standing crop, and once it caught that, in combination with the wind, it just went.

'And that was the scary bit, when it just went, because there was no controlling it. There was nothing we could do.'

Eleanor explained there have been fires previously at the Berkshire-based farm, but it was 'becoming a lot more common now' due to the severe temperatures seen in recent years.

Speaking about his actions, Dan said: 'Your first thoughts are obviously life and limb of others, life and limbs of your own, and then try and get the machinery and crops safe.'

Asked whether he felt he was a 'hero', he replied: 'It's very flattering, but I was just trying to do the best in the situation we were in. Having experienced it before, the key is to stay calm and do the best you can.

'As farmers we're a resilient old bunch, I'm just pleased we were able to stop it. But the real heroes were the fire brigade getting there so quick, and taking it in their stride, getting the job done. They are the guys we have to look after.'

Eleanor added: 'We have been up harvesting at 3am, very early in the morning, to get over these heat pressures that we have and we've been taking fire extinguishers on board, and have a water bowser traveling with us.

'So there are things that we are doing as farmers to keep this risk to a minimum.

'But, at the same time things sometimes happen like they did yesterday, and there was nothing we could do.'

Cameron Bartram (left) and Jay Loft (right) helped to stop a potentially devastating fire in the Woodthorpe area of York

The farm workers disced the fields to create a firebreak until the emergency services arrived

As the blaze headed towards homes, the workers jumped into tractors and disced the fields

The tractor can be seen attempting to make a firebreak to stop the blaze spreading to homes

The latest incidents of farm fires come as a huge blaze erupted close to a housing estate on Sunday afternoon.

Young farm workers Jay Loft, 22, and Cameron Bartram, 19, reacted quickly when a blaze, which was started by a cigarette lighter, spread over 750 yards across wheat fields in the Woodthorpe area of York.

The duo had been working at a nearby site when they were called about the fire – and with landowner Russell Wagstaff 45 minutes away, they sprang into action.

As the blaze headed towards homes, Mr Loft and Mr Bartram jumped into tractors and disced the fields to create a firebreak until the emergency services arrived.

Dramatic video recorded from the tractors showed the fire just yards away from the machinery as huge plumes of smoke resulted in near-zero visibility on local roads.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service eventually brought the flames under control, but the suspected arson attack caused an estimated £30,000 of damage to crops.

Two girls aged 15 and 17, both from the local area, were arrested on suspicion of arson by North Yorkshire Police but are no longer being treated as suspects.

Police have since arrested two other girls and two boys, all aged 14.

Detectives also revealed a further eight fires were reported across the area last weekend, with six of these being treated as deliberate.

Mr Bartram said the fire was 'spreading really quick' when he arrived, telling the BBC: 'I was just glad I was nearby and could get there to help a neighbouring farmer.

'If it happened to us I'd like to think that a neighbouring farmer would be here to help us. It was horrible really. And for the farmer as well, just a massive loss.

'It's just that dry at the minute, everything can catch alight like no problem at all.'

Farm owner Mr Wagstaff has since been clearing up the remains of the fire with his combine harvester.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: 'An investigation indicated that the fire was started using a lighter before rapidly spreading across the field and becoming uncontrollable within a very short period of time.'

Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant Ben Ambler, of North Yorkshire Police, said: 'Arson is a serious offence that puts lives at risk and, in this case, has caused significant damage to a local farmer's crops.

'Two local teenagers were swiftly arrested in connection with the suspected arson, and our investigation is progressing at pace.

'We have a problem-solving plan in place to address this issue and will continue our joint work with partners to educate young people about the dangers and consequences of fires as we head into the summer school holidays.'

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service station manager Nick Allenby said: 'Fire spreads quickly and can be unpredictable. A fire can endanger lives no matter what size it is.

'Even a small fire can spread quickly and divert crews away from life‑threatening emergencies.

'By working with partners, including North Yorkshire Police, we aim to educate children and young adults about the dangers of fire and help them understand the wider consequences of their actions before someone is seriously harmed.

'We are appealing to anyone with parental responsibilities to explain the hazards, risks and potentially devastating consequences of setting fires especially ahead of the summer holidays.'

According to rural insurance provider NFU Mutual, fire is a 'constant risk' to UK farms.

In 2024, the estimated cost of farm fires reported to the company across the UK was £102m.

Hannah Binns, NFU Mutual's Rural Affairs Specialist, said: 'These fires not only endanger the lives of farmers, farm workers and their families, but can destroy months or years of hard work, with long lasting consequences for agricultural businesses, structurally and financially.

'Beyond the immediate damage, the emotional toll of a farm fire can be significant, as individuals come to terms with the trauma and the added strain on an already demanding job.

'Farm fires can also cause disruption to local communities, damaging essential infrastructure such as power lines and overhead cables, and causing road closures that interrupt vital services.'