By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
Fifteen fire crews are at a large woodland fire in Nottinghamshire this afternoon as temperatures across the county hit 39C.
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to the “significant” fire at Blidworth Lane, close to Blidworth, this afternoon (July 19).
The service added crews are dealing with “an exceptional amount of incidents around the county”.
It comes as temperatures hit record highs in the UK, with 40C recorded by the Met Office at Heathrow in London.
The UK is dealing with its first ever red warning for heat across much of the country. People are being told to stay cool and hydrated.
Councillor Mike Adams (Con), Environment Ambassador at Nottinghamshire County Council, who saw the blaze at Blidworth, said: “We watched from the other side of the valley, a small smoke plume of a couple of metres turned into a wave of smoke and fire jumped across the tree tops.
“Multiple appliances began turning up and I am sure they have a difficult battle on their hands.
“It’s really sad to be seeing this pine forest on fire and I feel for the residents and wildlife that live in and around it.
“It’s so hot today, so dry, a heat I’ve not felt in my lifetime. As the climate continues to warm, events like this are to become more regular.
“I hope the 250 hectares of trees we are planting over the next five years will go some way to replacing those, but that forest is mature and these have a long way to get there.
“Thanks to the emergency services for their work and if this wasn’t a natural cause, please remember to extinguish cigarettes properly and avoid locations like this for BBQ while things are so dry.”
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service added: “We received a call at 13:35 today (19 July 2022) to reports of a fire in the open. Currently, we have 15 crews in attendance at this incident from around the county including support from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service.
“We are advising the public to avoid the area and if affected by the smoke to close their doors and windows.”
Network Rail East Midlands also tweeted that a fire on the lineside at Lowdham has stopped services.
The fire service are in attendance to “stop the spread to a residential area”.
