Grass fire on Clee Hill

Firefighters spent almost five hours tackling a grass fire at a Shropshire beauty spot. The fire engulfed four-and-a-half hectares on Catherton Common, Clee Hill, at about 2.20pm yesterday.

Crews and appliances from Cleobury Mortimer, Ludlow, Tenbury Wells, Bewdley and Kidderminster attended the scene, along with a support team and off-road vehicle from Telford, a water bowser from Bridgnorth, a welfare unit and ranger from Newport and a Pinzgaur all-terrain vehicle from Church Stretton.

A Firefighter Assist and Search Team from Telford also attended as a precautionary measure to make health and safety risk assessments while the incident was being dealt with.

A spokesman for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said the last vehicles left the scene at about 7.15pm, and added eight hose reel jets, beaters and the Pinzgaur were used to put the flames out.

It comes less than a month after a spate of gorse fires were reported in the area.

Seven fires broke out at various locations across Catherton Common and Clee Hill over a two week period in March, which prompted Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service chiefs to issue safety advice for anyone lighting fires or seeing a fire spiralling out of control.

Landowners in the Clee Hill area have since been asked to notify local fire officers if they know of any controlled fires which will be lit by people in the area.