Bromsgrove field fire sees 50 homes evacuated amid major incident
On Monday, the fire service, which has released drone footage of the scene, said the blaze was not believed to be deliberate and arson was not suspected.A spokeswoman said HWFRS had received an unprecedented number of calls over the weekend because of the heat wave and many of the calls were linked to fires in the open.Because of the high number of calls, HWFRS initiated a procedure that allowed other fire services to assist in taking 999 calls."Firefighters and fire control worked tirelessly to deal with this incident, with crews working to tackle the blaze and bring it under control, with the support of local farmers who helped create the fire break," a spokeswoman said.People who had to leave their homes were moved to a rest centre and returned the same evening, she added. No-one is believed to have been injured.
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The Independent
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So far, Southern Water, Thames Water, South East Water and Yorkshire Water have announced hosepipe bans, but it's expected that more will be announced in the coming months. The first ban of the year was announced by Yorkshire Water, affecting York, Leeds, and Sheffield, as well as parts of northern Lincolnshire and Derbyshire. The Southern Water ban will affect those in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight and comes into effect on 21 July. Starting on 22 July, the Thames Water ban affects people in large areas of Swindon, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire. Beginning 18 July, the South East Water ban affects those in Kent and Sussex. It remains unlikely that there will be hosepipe bans in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Should I use a watering can during a hosepipe ban? If you're in an area with a hosepipe ban, a watering can filled from the kitchen tap is a water-efficient way to give your garden a drink. 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The Independent
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