Shropshire firefighters have joined fire and rescue services from across the country to fight the “extraordinary” moorland fires in the north west as part of the UKs national resilience efforts.
A total of 12 wholetime and “on call” firefighters from Telford, Shrewsbury, Hodnet and Prees led by incident commander Jim Barker left Shropshire at 10pm last night (Sunday) to answer a national firefighting call for assistance.
They arrived at midnight in two fire appliances to join the battle which has seen 20 fire appliances and scores of firefighters fight a huge blaze in moorland at Winter Hill, near Bolton. This comes soon after a fire at Saddleworth Moor which started eight days ago. The Army has also been brought in to help.
Jim Barker, a senior fire officer with Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, said firefighting conditions were “tough” at Winter Hill in Lancashire where scores of UK firefighters have been working tirelessly to put out moorland fires.
Speaking from the scene this afternoon (Monday), he described a huge team of national resilience forces including firefighters, coastguards with 4 x 4 vehicles and a tractor belonging to the national utilities working together to help put out the blaze.
“There is a huge ongoing effort with air support from a helicopter constantly dropping water,” said Jim, an incident commander in charge of a team of 12 firefighters from Shropshire at the scene.
Shropshire firefighters have joined those from Tyne and Wear, the South West, Nottinghamshire, Humberside and Warwickshire to assist Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Group Commander John Harrison said today: “We sent two volunteer crews last night (Sunday) required for national deployment to assist the effort. They were deployed to the scene of operations this morning to assist firefighting operations.”
He also appealed for people to be “extra vigilant” in Shropshire to prevent similar fires taking hold in the county.
“There is a danger in very dry conditions of fires breaking out on grassland and heathland as is being seen in Lancashire and Greater Manchester over the last week.
“I want to appeal to the public in Shropshire to be extra vigilant to prevent outdoor fires on tinder dry land as well as the more obvious potential ignition sources from barbeques and discarded smoking materials.
“Mirrors and glass which reflect sunlight also have the potential to cause fires in these exceptional conditions. The local fire service is well prepared for instances of this nature but the public should remain extra vigilant to help protect our beautiful Shropshire countryside.”
Grassland at The Wrekin, Catherton Common, Cleobury Mortimer, and the Long Mynd has always posed a threat of fire during hot weather.
