Fire safety priority on farm estates is being urged by rural insurer NFU Mutual after reporting paying out more than £2.5 million in claims for commercial fires in Scotland in 2012.
The firm says in its warning to country estate owners around Scotland they should have set up business continuity plans.
Around the UK, arson, electrical faults, electrical gear and commercial vehicle fires headed the list of claims with identified causes.
Many owners can fail to think how the estate might carry on while repairs or rebuilding are carried out and new stock and machinery are bought, said Martin Malone, regional manager of NFU Mutual in Scotland.
Mr Malone said research suggested four-fifths of commercial businesses had a “major incident” like a fire, fail within 18 months but many had not prepared to survive after a major disaster.
Fire was one of the major risks to an estate, with rebuilding in the aftermath taking months or years.
The Fire Safety Regulations (Scotland) 2006 makes it a legal requirement for estate owners to assess the risk and their precautions.
Copyright Press Association 2014