Call for fire hydrants at mobile home park after ferocious blaze

Homeowners at Cavans Wood in Huntington, Staffordshire, also want a new entrance and exit created to they can get out quicker in case of an emergency.

It comes after 30 firefighters were called to tackle a blaze in a straw field bordering West Chadsmoor and Huntington which is believed to have been the work of young arsonists.

Crews from Cannock, Brewood, Stafford, Rugeley and Lichfield battled flames on Tuesday afternoon, which rose 100ft in the air, for more than an hour in the 100m by 300m field.

Thelma Cook has lived on the mobile home park for more than 20 years and first raised the alarm.

She said: "I could smell burning and I saw the fire getting closer to my home. It was really frightening.

"I told my husband to ring the fire brigade immediately and they responded in minutes.

"This kind of thing happens at least once a year during the summer holidays but I have never seen a fire on this scale before.

"It's really scary because we have no fire hydrants on the site and there is only one entrance and exit so I intend to write to the council because that is very worrying.

"If everyone was trying to get out at once and fire engines were trying to get in there would be chaos and someone could get seriously hurt."

Residents used garden hoses to stop the flames edging closer to their homes.

The park has one way in and out, but families are asking for another to be built to help emergency services gain access more easily.

Thelma Cook, who also lives on the park, said the fire came within 15ft of her home.

She added: "I didn't know what to do but having a fire hydrant would have been a little more comforting.

"If we had to evacuate the park I don't know what would have happened because there are a lot of elderly people who live here and it would have been very difficult for some of them having to get out."

Police are investigating.