Firefighters are continuing to battle a wildfire the size of five football pitches at a nature reserve near Newcastle Airport.
A fire at Prestwick Carr Nature Reserve has been burning since Wednesday afternoon, with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service receiving a call at 1.19pm on June 14. At its height, 56 firefighters, two drone pilots, three fire officers, 10 appliances and a High Volume Pump (HVP) were on the scene attempting to bring the blaze under control in blistering heat.
Across the region, residents have reported the smell of smoke in Gosforth and even as far away as Howdon, while ash fell on nearby Ponteland on Wednesday night. The nature reserve, which is split between the Ministry of Defence and Northumberland Wildlife Trust, is a large, low-lying wetland area which attracts various wading birds and songbirds such as pipit and skylark.
