Urgent plea following series of major fires

We are urging the public to help us keep Staffordshire safe following a series of major fires across the county last night (Thursday 13 August).

Six firefighters who have battled to contain the fires in sweltering heat have been taken to hospital following smoke inhalation and the effects of heat exhaustion.

Chief Fire Officer, Glynn Luznyj, said: “Crews have been working tirelessly through the night and thankfully the Goldenhill, Parkhall, Tamworth and Cannock Chase fires are now under control.

“Right now, we need your help. Our resources are extremely stretched at the moment because of the unprecedented demand we're facing. Our firefighters are putting themselves in harm’s way, night and day, to protect our local community.

“Unfortunately, this has resulted in numerous firefighters being taken to hospital. Five have thankfully been discharged and the sixth continues to recover.

"It is absolutely crucial that we all act together to do everything possible to minimise the risks of further fires at this time. 

“Please do not burn garden waste and if you are going to have a barbeque, do so responsibly by keeping them away from vegetation and keeping a water source or sand nearby.

“Finally, I would like to thank the local community for their support during this period of unprecedented demand.

“It has been great to see people coming together to support each other. Crews have been provided with free food and refreshments and we've seen that people are coming forward to provide spare furniture and goods to those who have lost them to fires.

"We're working extremely hard to keep everyone safe, but we really need people to do their part to prevent these fires from happening in the first place."

We have a number of key safety tips on our website which could be the difference between a fire starting in your local area. To read more about how you can keep people safe in your community, visit our website here.