Crews remain at scene of wildfire days later

Firefighters are still at the scene of a blaze days after it first started and could be there for several days more.

Crews were called to the wildfire at Bardon Hill in Coalville, Leicestershire, on Wednesday at about 20:00 BST and had put it out hours later.

But the blaze, which at its height spread across 2,691 sq ft (250 sq m) of land made up of peat, took hold again on Thursday night.

The incident has since been scaled down but Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said crews could continue to attend for several days.

Residents nearby were warned to keep their windows and doors closed on Thursday night

A fire control spokesperson said: "We're attending at regular intervals for monitoring.

"There are still several pockets of heat and potential fire so there so we're continuing to monitor it.

"Because of the peat and the nature of the fire we're probably going to be there for quite some time still.

"It's hard to say how long but possibly days, although it has been scaled down."

A cause for the fire has not yet been established, the fire service added.

It is one of several wildfires to take hold across the East Midlands in recent weeks amid a spell of dry, sunny weather, including 17 incidents in Derbyshire.