Take care with garden bonfires, public is warned
FIREFIGHTERS have issued a safety warning after a fire lit in the garden of a village property spread to a hedge and a tree and totally destroyed a shed.
The incident happened at a house in the Churchstoke area, near the town of Montgomery in Powys.
Crews were called to the fire at around 11.47am on Monday and were at the scene for around an hour and a half to extinguish the blaze and to make sure the area was safe.
The fire originated from a bonfire in the garden which was placed close to the shed.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service is now warning members of the public about the dangers of garden bonfires, and is asking people to consider whether burning their own waste is the best and safest course of action.
A spokesman for the fire service said: “We are urging people to carefully consider if it is necessary to burn their rubbish and instead utilise their local authority’s waste disposal services.
“If it is essential to burn your rubbish and garden waste in a bonfire, then please follow these simple rules that are advocated by the National Fire Chiefs Council.
“Firstly, is it necessary? If it is necessary, then bonfires should be sited well away from buildings, fences, trees and garden buildings and structures. If possible, the burning of garden rubbish should take place within a garden incinerator. The garden incinerator should be placed on an even and non-combustible surface, such as a patio slab. Do not use flammable liquids or accelerants to start the bonfire.
“The bonfire should always be supervised.”