Warning after Stafford house nearly catches fire from garden waste
People are being warned about burning garden waste after a house almost caught fire.
Fire crews had to work fast to stop a blaze destroying a house in Stafford, which luckily only suffered 'slight' damage.
Firefighters from Stafford and Rising Brook attended the fire involving conifer trees in Rising Brook at around 4.20pm on Tuesday.
Crews wearing two breathing apparatus used two hose reel jets to extinguish the blaze, which was caused by a nearby garden waste fire that spread to conifers next to the house. The house, an outbuilding and a vehicle were slightly damaged by the fire. Crews left at 5pm.
Watch manger Roger Prenter-Jones, from Staffordshire Fire Service, said: "Luckily no one was injured in this fire however it does highlight just how quickly a small fire can become out of control.
"Garden waste materials were being burnt close to trees which soon ignited. The man who was burning the materials had not taken into account the location of the bonfire with regards to the vegetation near the house. The flames did reach the house but thankfully it didn’t ignite so the damage was minimal.
"We would urge anyone who does intend to burn items to do so in a controlled manner, ensuring there are no trees, bushes, buildings or other combustible materials nearby and that changes in weather conditions are taken into account. The responsible person in this incident did the right thing by immediately calling us as soon as he became worried about the fire."
Mr Penter-Jones added: "We would urge anyone who does intend to burn items to do so in a controlled manner, ensuring there are no trees, bushes, buildings or other combustible materials nearby and that changes in weather conditions are taken into account."
