'Stay safe' warning as Shropshire firefighters called to extinguish bonfire in Oswestry

Fire crews in Shrewsbury and Ellesmere were called into action after reports of fires in the open, with two reported in Shrewsbury and one in Oswestry.

The first fire in Oswestry saw a crew from Ellesmere called out at 6.54pm and use a knapsack to extinguish a small bonfire off Jasmine Gardens, with the fire under control by 7.24pm.

Ellesmere's fire crew said on social media: "On arrival, we found a bonfire had been lit in woods behind Jasmine Gardens. The fire was extinguished by the crew using a portable water device, known as a knapsack.

"It is extremely dry at present. Lighting fires poses significant risk to the environment, property, and people, including our crew as they respond. Stay safe."

Another fire was reported on Gloucester Road at 7.53pm, with a crew from Shrewsbury using hosereel jets and a thermal imaging camera to extinguish a small fire involving household waste, with the fire reported as under control by 8.20pm.

A Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "This incident was a small fire involving household waste and crews used one hose reel jet and a thermal imaging camera to extinguish."

At the same time, a second Shrewsbury crew was called to Telford Way to tackle a household waste fire, with hosereel jets and a thermal imaging camera used to extinguish the fire, and the situation under control by 8.20pm.

The spokesperson said: "This incident was a small fire involving household waste and crews used one hose reel jet and a thermal imaging camera to extinguish."