HEREFORD and Worcester Fire Service (HWFRS) have been called out to more than 200 incidents this week.

The week caps a period of “extraordinary activity” for the fire service during the last four weeks totalling more than 600 incidents.

After extreme fires last month on the Lickey Hills and Hartlebury Common, this week’s fire at Great Witley joined other fires in the open in and around Worcester, Redditch, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, Stourport on Severn, Stourbridge, and Ledbury among many others on the list.

The fire service said disposable barbecues continue to be a danger, with evidence of their continuing use in the countryside and their potential to ignite tinder-dry ground.

There have been around 16 calls to RTCs on motorways and county roads, a further 16 to rescues and 18 classified as ‘other’ - of which eight were to assist paramedics.

The service has also deployed to several water and animal rescue incidents.

Area Commander George Marshall, HWFRS assistant director for protection, said: “Now that the heatwave has continued for well over a week, the ground has become totally dry, including well below the surface, so it is more important than ever that we avoid any activity that could spark off a fire.

“It is more than likely that some of the large-scale fires that we have tackled in recent days could have been avoided with more care, reducing pressure on our firefighters who continue to respond to the sort of incidents that we see during more normal weather.”