Firefighters have been praised for saving dozens of homes in Newcastle after a huge grassland fire threatened to spread into a village.
More than 30 firefighters from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service tackled a large grass fire in Walbottle on Thursday, August 13. Crews arrived at the scene just minutes after the control room staff received a call at around 3pm alerting them to the fire that was growing and spreading rapidly.
In hot and arduous conditions, firefighters battled to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby houses as police evacuated a small number of residents as a precaution. Thankfully, crews were able to stop the fire from reaching the homes in the nick of time – with garden fences, decking and some out-buildings becoming damaged in the fire.
