THE fire service is urging residents to call before carrying out controlled burns as firefighters are being "unnecessarily" sent out.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service sent crews to two incidents of controlled burns on Anglesey on Sunday.

A crew from Holyhead attended a controlled burn that caused excessive smoke on Garreglwyd Road in Holyhead at about 8.55pm.

Another crew from Llangefi was called to a burn on Llangefni High Street that had become out of control at about 10pm. One hose reel jet was used to tackle the blaze.

Paul Scott, senior fire safety manager, said: "Every year we are called to countless false alarms and controlled burns which have spread.

"We are urging all landowners undertaking controlled burning to notify us by calling our control room on 01931 522 006. This will help avoid false alarms and crews being sent out unnecessarily as well as ensuring we are ready to respond in the event of a burn getting out of control.

"When the weather is dry it is easy for fires to spread. These fires are often in areas where access is extremely difficult and water supply is limited - should the fire get out of control, this can place tremendous pressure on resources, with firefighters tied up for a considerable length of time trying to bring them under control.

"These fires can put homes, livestock and the lives of crews and residents at risk as firefighters are kept from attending genuine emergencies."

Fire service guidelines for planning a controlled burn include:

  • Ensure you have sufficient people and equipment to control the fire
  • Check wind direction and ensure there is no risk to property, roads and wildlife
  • If a fire gets out of control contact the fire service immediately giving details of location and access
  • It is illegal to leave a fire unattended or to have too few people to control it
  • Always ensure a fire is completely out before you leave it and check next day to ensure it has not reignited.