Fire spreads to four gardens

Firefighters were called to a house in Imperial Avenue, Mayland, last night (Saturday 31 May) after reports of a large garden fire.

On arrival, crews found the fire had already spread to four gardens, affecting sheds, fences and garden items.

Station Manager Scott Fretton said:

"Crews did a fantastic job in surrounding the fire and stopping it from spreading further. They worked quickly to bring it under control and extinguish it safely."

Earlier in the day, a smaller fire had broken out when sunlight reflected off a pile of glass and ignited a fence. The homeowners believed they had extinguished it fully, but it’s thought embers continued to smoulder and later reignited, causing the larger fire that evening.

Scott added:

"This incident is a strong reminder not to leave piles of glass or reflective items in direct sunlight as they can easily start fires. We never encourage anyone to extinguish fires themselves, but if you do ever tackle a small fire yourself, please make sure it is fully out. If you're ever in doubt - always call 999 and let us check."