A road running through Cannock Chase Country Park has been temporarily closed to reduce the risk of further wildfires, after firefighters tackled a blaze started by a disposable barbecue.
Staffordshire County Council has closed Chase Road, from the Camp Road turning to Brocton Nursery to reduce the risk of smouldering areas reigniting. The closure is expected to remain in place until at least Monday 3 August when it will be reviewed.
This is after crews from the Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and West Midlands Fire service were called to a large fire at the site in Brocton at 6pm yesterday (Thursday 30 July). Crews remained on site today to damp down hotspots across the area.
The fire scorched a football pitch size of heathland and moorland on Sherbrook Valley, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
A number of reptiles and amphibians perished in the blaze, including adders and toads.
Hayley Coles, Staffordshire County Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture, said:
"We've taken the difficult decision to temporarily close Chase Road after crews dealt with a fire in the area last night. I was particularly sad to learn that animals lost their lives in the blaze, and a large amount of rare heathland habitat was lost.
"The fire service was fortunately able to bring the fire under control but we may not be so lucky next time, especially with the site being so close to irreplaceable veteran oak trees. Please stop bringing barbecues onto the Chase. This is the devastation they can cause.
"If you regularly use Chase Road, please make alternative plans for your journey over the weekend and we will update you as soon as it is safe for us to reopen the road again."
With the Environment Agency declaring a drought in the region, residents are being reminded to take extra care to avoid causing wildfires outside.
This includes not lighting open flames or using barbecues in country parks and putting all litter into designated bins, especially glass which can start fires when hit by sunlight.
Rich Williams, Group Manager at the Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, attended the fire in Brocton. He said:
"We believe this fire was caused by a disposable barbeque, which are banned on Cannock Chase due to the dangers that they pose.
"It is absolutely crucial that people adhere to this ban, as incidents like this place significant demand on resources during an already very busy period."
