Fire safety call to walkers

Fire safety call to walkers

The new pump allows crews to spray less water over a larger area.

Daytrippers taking to the Shropshire Hills over the Bank Holiday weekend have been urged to take special care.

The appeal follows a nationwide outbreak of fires blamed on the recent dry weather and strong winds.

Peter Carty, the National Trust's property manager for the Shropshire Hills appealed to visitors to exercise caution as they walk on the hills.

His appeal came as firefighters in neighbouring Staffordshire, who have been tackling major fires on the Staffordshire Moorlands, continued testing a "revolutionary" new water pump.

Hundreds of grass fires

Firefighters are using water mixed with compressed air and foam to help speed up the time spent at incidents.

Divisional Officer Alan Paulinski says it will "revolutionise" the way they deal with fires.

"We'll need less resource, less water, less time spent at the incident, making us available for other fires elsewhere," he said.

Firefighters across the Midlands have been tackling hundreds of grass fires, many of which were started deliberately.