Crews tackle 24 outdoor fires in one day as wildfire risk continues across Staffordshire

With temperatures continuing to rise this week, we’re urging the public to help us reduce the risk of wildfires and water-related incidents across Staffordshire.

Yesterday alone we dealt with 24 outdoor fires (Sunday 10 August). These fires were deliberate or avoidable.

Since April this year we have been sent to over 1,400 outdoor fires across the county, along with a number of incidents where people have gone into open water and gotten into difficulty.

Head of Prevent, Protect and Partnerships, Ian Read said: “We saw significant demand over the weekend and we’re expecting this to continue into this week. The sunny and dry weather means we’re at real risk of a large fire occurring.

“There are currently major fires taking place in other parts of the country and we need to avoid this here in Staffordshire. Not only do these fires cause devastation, they also drain our resources meaning our response to other emergencies such as house fires and road traffic collisions can be delayed.

“We’re urging people to not to have open fires this week. We regularly attend these types of fires which have got out of control and this is something that we simply need to avoid when we expect our resources to already be stretched. If you want to get rid of your waste, we advise taking it to your local tip or hold onto it until a time when there is less of a risk, both in Staffordshire and nationally.

“Aside from fires, we’re also urging people to take care around open water during the hot weather. It’s very common for people to get into extreme difficulty, because despite the warm temperatures they often don’t realise how cold the water can be and how unexpected currents can quickly take hold of you. It’s really important that both adults and children know how to “float to live” which basically involves floating on your back with your arms and legs open wide if you do get into difficulty.”

For important tips on how you can stay safe during the warm weather, visit our website here: Safety outside