Stiperstones hill blaze extinguished by 72 firefighters
Firefighters will today investigate the cause of a large gorse fire on Oak Hill which burned for over six hours in south Shropshire yesterday.
The large fire which involved approximately 600 x 600 meters of gorse and bracken, broke out on the north east face of the Stiperstones just before 3pm yesterday afternoon. Smoke from the blaze could bee seen across a large part of south Shropshire.
Around 72 firefighters attended the fire created fire breaks to prevent the fire spreading.
Appliances from Bishops Castle, Church Stretton, Minsterley, Shrewsbury, Clun, Ludlow and Montgomery were called to the scene.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Area Manager, John Das Gupta said:
"Firefighters and officers from around the county have worked tirelessly for 6 hours tackling a severe fire on Oak Hill on the Stiperstones.
“Specialist vehicles recently purchased by the service for this very occurrence with 4 wheel drive capability have proved a fantastic asset in supporting firefighters as they moved water and equipment around.”
Firefighters remained at the scene overnight 'damping down' the area.
The cause of the fire is not thought to be suspicious, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service says the recent spell of hot weather is likely to have been a contributory factor.
