Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service is warning against reckless behaviour after tackling another widespread fire earlier today, this time on Walney Island.
Crews from Walney and Barrow attended the incident after being called out at 3am on Tuesday morning.
Firefighters spent nearly four hours tackling the wildfire and damping down to prevent flare-ups. The fire, which caused damage to approximately 250 square metres of grass and gorse, spread to the fringes of the golf course on Walney Island.
Local crews have attended 20 fires believed to have been started deliberately in the Walney and Barrow area over the past 12 weeks.
Roger Exley, Barrow Station Manager for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We are really disappointed to be called out to tackle yet another preventable fire on Walney Island. This is the latest in a number of incidents in the area. We believe these fires were started either deliberately or carelessly, or they have spread from the shore where people have been setting fires and not extinguishing them when they leave.
“Wildfires are easily started and can spread rapidly putting people, property and wildlife at risk. These types of fires can be unpredictable in nature and challenging to tackle. They also require large amounts of resources from the Service and means firefighters at the scene are not available to attend other emergencies.
“We would urge people to take extra in the countryside. Careless, or indeed reckless behaviour, can have serious consequences and is unacceptable – people should really think twice.”
