Appeal for public’s help as crews tackle further fires at country park

We’re calling on people in Staffordshire to make sure they do everything possible to avoid starting grass fires following a series of incidents in Stoke-on-Trent.

This morning (Thursday 13 August), crews were called to Park Hall Country Park on Hulme Road, Park Hall, following a report of a fire at 3.40am.

Firefighters worked hard, overcoming difficult conditions, including poor visibility, to safely extinguish the fire on grassland.

Thankfully, no-one was injured.

This incident comes after crews tackled two fires at the same park on Tuesday (11 August).

Firefighters went there following a report of a blaze at around 1.30pm. Then, at 2.50pm, those already working at the scene saw smoke coming from another area of the park.

A total of 12 appliances were involved and again, thankfully, no-one was injured.

The cause of the fires is currently under investigation.

Station Manager Liam Hickey, who attended the scene, said: "Our green spaces are taking a real hit this summer and we need the public’s help to protect them.

“Demand for our service's resources across Staffordshire has been higher than ever and temperatures are expected to exceed 30 degrees today again.

“Given the lack of rainfall, we know that the risk of wildfires is extremely high, current fire-behaviour models show the highest ignition risk on record in some areas.

"While the cause of the fires at Park Hall is still being determined, I'd ask people not to use barbeques in open spaces, make sure cigarettes are disposed of properly and rubbish is not left.

“However, I want to reiterate that grass fires can rapidly spread out of control and can cause catastrophic damage to people, families, wildlife and the environment. What might seem like a harmless bit of fun to set a small fire can quickly escalate and put lives in serious danger.

“We’re going to continue working hard to keep everyone safe and to protect the amazing green spaces we have across Staffordshire, but we need to do it together.”

For important advice on how to stay safe while enjoying the outdoors, visit our website here: https://www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk/your-safety/safety-outside/