Shropshire Star

New pictures of charred crops reveal scale of huge wildfire in field on Shropshire/Staffordshire border

Shropshire's fire service has revealed pictures which show the scale of the damage caused by a large wildfire near Claverley.

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The incident yesterday (August 15) at Lower Common saw as many as 10 fire crews scrambled to the scene as Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service firefighters worked to contain a potentially dangrous blaze.

The fire involved a crop field but had also affected nearby woodland, with the potential to spread to a nearby property.

The scene of the blaze near Claverley. Picture: Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service
The scene of the blaze near Claverley. Picture: Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service

Crews, joined by firefighters from Staffordshire, worked at the scene for a number of hours to deal with the fire, and spent time making sure it was fully extinguished.

Police had also attended to alert traffic passing on the busy rural road.

Images shared by the fire service show the scale of the fire, and the aftermath, with the charred crops clearly visible across huge sections of the field.

The scene of the blaze near Claverley. Picture: Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service
The scene of the blaze near Claverley. Picture: Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service

Following the fire station manager Craig Jackson reiterated a warning to the public to avoid anything which could trigger a wildfire during an exceptionally dry spell.

He said: "We are still warning residents not to take barbecues into the countryside, be careful disposing of glass bottles and smoking material and please do not have bonfires during this dry period."