Chase hit by arson again
Cannock Chase has been put on a high fire risk alert after a large blaze was started close to a packed bank holiday event at Hednesford Raceway.
The fire, on the Hednesford Hills, was the latest in a string of arson attacks and damaged another sec-tion of the beauty spot. Daily assessments carried out by the Forestry Commission now consider the Chase at high risk.
They say the improving weather and current school holidays put the area at greater risk.
In the latest blaze, a large area of grassland went up in flames yesterday close to the raceway where hundreds of people watched racing.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service received 21 calls alerting them to the fire at 2.15pm, which was on land off Valley Road near the Museum of Cannock Chase.
It followed a weekend of five deliberately started grass fires in Huntington, Hednesford and at Cannock Chase War Cemetery and eight such fires in 48 hours last week.
Firefighters have hit out at those responsible.
Mark Williams, fire ser-vice assistant area commander for Cannock, said: "Grass fires spread extremely quickly and it is only a matter of time before we have a large scale incident.
"These types of incidents require a high number of personnel and are often time consuming, meaning crews are not available to attend other incidents. People's lives are being put at risk."
Andy Coggins, works supervisor for the Forestry Commission, said there was currently a high risk of fire but added extra precautions were not yet needed.
He said: "If we have a fire that destroys a timber crop it takes a long time to recover and is very costly."
Yesterday's grass fire involved an area of around 330ft x 230ft. It sparked reminders of a massive blaze last July in which 10 acres of heathland at Hednesford Hills was ravaged by fire.
