Mansfield District Council is asking residents to help reduce the risk of fires, following a large grassland blaze in Forest Town.
It is also taking action to reduce the risk of fire in the areas of its parks and open spaces that have been left unmown for several months to encourage biodiversity.
The action comes following the incident on Saturday afternoon (13 Aug) that saw the large fire on land near Barringer Road spread to a property in nearby Maunleigh, causing damage to the house, a car and a caravan.
Two teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of arson and have been released on conditional bail as Nottinghamshire Police’s investigations continue.
Mariam Amos, Strategic Director at the council said: “This large scale incident was dealt with swiftly thanks to our partners in fire and policing but also the local residents.
“They were swift to act and help transport water to the fire before the fire service arrived on scene, which was a fabulous display of communities coming together in a urgent time of need. The council thanks everybody involved for their actions and bravery.
“Mansfield has had an unprecedented dry, hot summer that has been a big problem not only locally but nationally, throughout Europe and worldwide.
“In our own parks we have some areas that have been deliberately left unmown for several months to encourage wildlife and biodiversity. It's a difficult balancing act creating habitats where wildflowers and wildlife can thrive whilst also managing the potential for grass fires to arise as the vegetation dries out later in the season.
“As such, we will be mowing these areas in the coming days and we will be assessing how we can safely maintain and manage the areas left for biodiversity reasons to reduce the risk of potential fire incidents in the future.”
The council also asks residents to:
- Avoid having barbecues in open spaces
- Take extra care in discarding cigarette ends and glass bottles as these are particular fire risks
If anyone sees a fire being started deliberately they should report it anonymously to FireStoppers on 0800 169 5558 or at firestoppersreport.co.uk (opens in new window).