Firefighters had a busy bonfire weekend tackling blazes across Shropshire – but officials said the number was ‘nothing out of the ordinary’ for the time of year.

Crews were called out to deal with a number of incidents in Shrewsbury, Telford, Oswestry, Craven Arms and Church Stretton as people joined in with a host of bonfire and firework celebrations.

But Paul Raymond, chief fire officer for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the number of fires was about the same as last year.

“It is the build-up to Bonfire Night that tends to be the busiest time – in the week leading up when we have got lots of bonfires being set,” he said.

“Over the weekend, we had the usual busy weekend but nothing out of the ordinary. We had about 20 incidents from Friday until this morning – with 20 small fires which were bin fires or bonfires. Unfortunately, it is the sort of numbers we would expect normally, added to by a number of bonfires left to burn.

“In the space of one hour on Saturday, we had six bonfires just in the Telford area that we had to go and extinguish because there was nobody there.”

On Saturday firefighters were called to a fire in the open and a separate rubbish fire in Bishopdale, Brookside, Telford after 5pm.

Crews dealt with fires in the open in New Street, Oakengates at about 6pm and in Cranmere, Stirchley shortly after 6.30pm.

A shed fire in Turreff Avenue, Donnington took place at about 7pm at the same time firefighters were dealing with a blaze involving furniture and refuse in Windermere Road, Harlescott, Shrewsbury.

Three bin fires were tackled by crews in Ditherington Road in Shrewsbury, Sutton Hill in Telford, and Old Race Course, Rhydycroesau, near Oswestry after 7pm.

Also on Saturday a shed fire took place in King Street, Wellington at about 8.15pm and a tree fire in East Avenue, Donnington at about 9.15pm. Yesterday a rubbish fire happened at Burtondale, Brookside in Telford about 3.30am, while firefighters also spent more than an hour at a property fire in Church Preen at about 8.45am.

By Chris Burn