Wildfire 'could have been a whole lot worse'

Firefighters who tackled Cumbria's first wildfire of the year have warned it "could have been a whole lot worse".

Crews from Shap and Penrith were called to the "well alight" blaze on Ralfland Common, west of Shap, on Wednesday.

Firefighters, who were transported by farmers to the scene, used beaters and portable extinguishers to put out the fire, leaving an area of damage which measured about 100m x 300m (328ft x 984ft).

Shap fire station said crews feared the fire "may not be the last", thanks to the large amount of dead vegetation present across the county, and cautioned against "the potential for serious harm" should a fire take hold in the uplands.

The fire station said: "It's clear to see that the management, or rather lack of, across the county's uplands in recent years is having a huge impact on increasing the risk of wildfire."

"All that we see now are increasing vast acres of dead brown ground with the potential for serious harm - undoing any good they feel they are doing for nature or the environment," the station continued.

"The fire could have been a whole lot worse in the height of summer.".

Crews urged people to avoid the use of naked flames and not to discard cigarettes thoughtlessly.

"Take care and pay respect to these uplands if you're out walking and enjoying them," the service added.

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