Series of bonfires in Horsham District sparks fire service commander's warning

Firefighters at Billingshurst Fire Station on West Street were first mobilised to a fire on Wednesday evening behind West Chiltington sports pavilion at 20.32pm after a group of young people decided to have a bonfire. Upon arrival the firefighters extinguished the bonfire and spoke with the group of young people about the importance of social distancing, and not starting fires, the fire service said.

They weren’t given much of a lie-in on Thursday after being mobilised alongside the 4x4 from Horsham to another bonfire, this time in woodland off the A264 at Slinfold, at 9.40am.

Billingshurst Crew Commander Mathew Gravell said: “When we arrived, we found an unattended bonfire on the bridal path. The person who had started the fire appeared not long after, and we were able to talk to them about the dangers of leaving fires unattended.

“This weekend we have a spell of particularly warm weather forecast, which heightens the risk of wildfires. It wouldn’t take much for a small fire like this to get out of control quite quickly and cause significant damage. We would urge all residents not to burn waste, especially in dry conditions like this.”

Retained firefighters often have full-time jobs elsewhere, but live or work within close proximity to a fire station and are paged to respond to emergencies as and when they are required.

To find out more about becoming an retained firefighter visit: https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/fire-emergencies-and-crime/west-sussex-fire-and-rescue-service/fire-rescue-recruitment/become-an-on-call-firefighter