Fire crews issue urgent plea as wildfires devastate open land

FIRE crews in Cornwall have issued a reminder to people about the consequences of not following advice on starting fires in the open.

Bodmin Community Fire Station’s crews have been involved in the responses to multiple fires out in the open across the week.

In a plea to the general public, they have taken the opportunity to remind people that around three quarters of the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service crews are on-call, meaning that they respond to calls while doing full time jobs and lives outside of their work saving lives.

They’ve urged people to help prevent wildfires from igniting by not dropping cigarettes, leaving glass behind, using barbecues where permitted and never leaving fires unattended.

Accompanying their warning was some images of devastated land where the recent wildfires had taken place, in a bid to reinforce their plea to the public.

A spokesperson for Bodmin Community Fire Station said: “A huge thank you to our fire crews across Cornwall.

“Over the last few days, crews have tackled multiple wildfires across the county and multiple crews are currently out attending wildfires. Often working day and night with very little rest.

“Around 75 per cent of Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service is made up of on call firefighters. They have full time jobs and lives outside the service, but when the call comes, they drop everything to help protect our communities.

Help prevent wildfires by doing the following: don’t drop cigarettes or leave glass behind, only use barbecues/fires where permitted and never leave a fire unattended.

“If you see a fire, get to safety and call 999 and use what3words to give emergency services a precise location, especially in remote areas.

“Stay safe, protect our countryside, and thank you to every firefighter giving up their time to keep Cornwall safe.”