Firefighters extinguish woodland fire

We have extinguished a small woodland fire in Tamworth.

Crews were called to Hopwas Woods just before 5pm yesterday (Wednesday 11 June) following reports of a fire.

One appliance attended and extinguished a small fire using beaters and back packs.

Nobody was reported injured and crews left the scene at around 6.45pm.

The fire was deemed to have been caused accidentally, by a campfire not being extinguished properly.

Watch Manager, David Cook, said: “The attending crew worked quickly yesterday to minimise the spread of this fire and to stop it escalating into something much bigger, which could have caused significant damage to the environment, wildlife, and people.

“It goes to show how easily accidental fires can happen, and the impact it poses to everything around it.

“We’re urging everyone to take care when lighting fires outside as they can be unpredictable and quickly get out of hand.”

Always remember to:

• Locate the fire away from sheds, outbuildings, wheelie bins, fences, vegetation and trees
• Never use oil, methylated spirits, paraffin or petrol to light the fire, as accelerants can cause uncontrolled explosions
• Ensure the fire is attended at all times and you have a way to extinguish the fire by having a hose pipe or buckets of water nearby

For more safety advice, visit Safety outside.