Following a firmly established blaze at Lindow Common last week, Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service has issued a warning advising visitors to take extra care during the warm weather.
Crews arrived just before 9pm on Bank Holiday Monday, May 2nd, to tackle a well developed fire covering approximately 100 x 300 metres of peat. They battled through the night to bring it under control and didn't leave the scene until 9am on May 3rd.
Due to the nature of the fire being deep seated within the raised mire of peat, it took the fire crews 12 hours to fully extinguish the smouldering bog using water from Rossmere Lake.
Alex Waller, Unitary Performance Manager for Cheshire East said: "The cause of this blaze has not been established at this time, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to be aware of the risks especially during the spring and summer seasons when visiting places like Lindow Common.
"The dry weather can make conditions extremely dangerous as grass fires can get out of hand very quickly, cause extensive damage and put lives at risk. They can also last for several days once a fire takes hold using up valuable Fire Service resources which could be needed elsewhere."
Every year fire is responsible for the destruction of thousands of acres of countryside, open spaces and wildlife habitat with some fires lasting several days.
The fire service says many of these fires are started deliberately but can be prevented by; disposing of smoking materials properly and making sure they are completely extinguished, not leaving camp fires or barbecues unattended and extinguishing them properly after use, clearing away bottles, glasses and any broken glass to prevent them magnifying the sun's rays and starting a fire as well as explaining to children the dangers of playing with lighted fires.
