MINEHEAD firefighters have urged people to park responsibly and follow self-isolation guidelines after struggling to get through to a fire in the woods at Alcombe Combe.
Firefighters were called to the incident at 2.39pm yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, April 8).
However their journey to the blaze was made more challenging by inappropriately parked vehicles hampering access for the larger of the two trucks.
A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue spokesman said: "Although this may have only be a fire in the open, there are other property’s beyond the parked car including an elderly care home."
The fire at the top edge of a fir plantation involved fallen tree roots and scrub, and on arrival, the crews swiftly got to work to control the spread of the fire.
They managed to extinguish it using hose reel jets, and a light portable pump sourcing water from a nearby stream.
The fire service spokesman added: "It appears that the fire was started by a discarded camp fire that had obviously been started deliberately - whether its children or adults - it does not demonstrate best practice regarding isolation during the COVID restrictions, let alone near to a plantation."
The fire service remind everyone to park so that emergency vehicles can pass, and for everyone to keep their movements and activities within the current government COVID guidelines.
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