Fire crews spent over six hours tackling a wildfire in north Cumbria over the weekend.
Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service said it was called out at around 2.25pm on Saturday to the blaze on the sand dunes on Silloth’s beach.
Four crews from Aspatria, Wigton, Maryport and Workington worked tirelessly to tackle the fire, along with three wildfire units from Silloth, Keswick and Windermere.
Firefighters were at the scene for over six hours and the site was inspected the following day to confirm the fire remained out.
Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service said crews had been called to multiple wildfires across the county over the weekend.
The service added: “Most wildfires in the UK are caused by human activity which, coupled with the sunny weather, means it is important that you take extra care to protect our beautiful Cumbrian countryside.”
The risk of wildfires in Cumbria is currently very heightened due to the hot, dry conditions.
It asked people to take the following steps to help reduce the risk:
- Don’t bring a disposable barbecue – our county has plenty of local businesses serving amazing food and drink, or you could pack a picnic
- Avoid lighting campfires outside of designated areas – never leave them unattended and make sure they are extinguished fully
- Take your litter home with you – respect our communities and environment
- Dispose of cigarettes and smoking materials safely – put it out, right out
If you do see a fire, always move to safety and call 999. Do not attempt to tackle the fire yourself.
Give as much information as you can about the size and location of the fire, and the terrain nearby – download the what3words app to make sure you can give a precise location for a faster response: what3words.com/products/what3words-app
