Firefighters tackle large fire in field near Welsh border after another bonfire gets 'out of control'
Shropshire's firefighters battled a large fire involving a field and a hedgerow near Ellesmere after a bonfire became "out of control".
The Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was called to Welshampton near Ellesmere at around 2.30pm on Monday (August 25) following reports of a fire in a field.
Two crews were sent to the scene from Wem and Whitchurch fire stations.
A SFRS spokesperson said the incident involved "approximately 30m by 30m of hedgerow and 30m by 30m of field" and was caused by an "out of control bonfire".
The incident came amid repeated warnings from the fire service, urging people to stop lighting outdoor fires during the current dry spell.
Last week, SFRS station manager and wildfire support officer, Craig Jackson, told the Shropshire Star: "With the dry weather we're having, the hot embers get picked up by wind and taken to dry ground where it catches, and very quickly becomes out of control.
"While we're sending fire appliances to tackle out-of-control bonfires, it reduces the number of appliances we have in-county.
"Don't have bonfires. We're going to call outs where people have been prepared with a hosepipe - and even then it's spreading too quickly.
"We ask that people who are considering burning garden waste take that waste to a local recycling centre."
