'Disposable barbecue fire could have killed us'

Ruth Jones lives near to the area which set alight

A woman has urged people not to use disposable barbecues, after a fire near her house was thought to have been caused by one.

The fire in woodland in Nesscliffe, near Shrewsbury on 5 July took more than six hours for Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service to bring under control.

The service said the blaze involved about 20 sq m (215 sq ft) of woodland and undergrowth at Hopton Hill, and was believed to have been caused by a disposable barbecue.

"It's quite shocking, it's completely burnt, there's nothing left there," said Ruth Jones.

She said the cottage closest to the site of the fire was about 150 yards (137m) away, and believed that the outcome could have been worse if not for the speed of the fire service.

"We'd have been burnt to death potentially, we are surrounded by the woods so it would've gone from one bit of woodland to the next and into our houses."

The blaze involved about 20 sq m (215 sq ft) of woodland and undergrowth at Hopton Hill

"Not everyone that comes here is aware of the fire hazard," she told the BBC.

"There's a lot of conifers and a lot of deadwood in the woodland, and although it's a fairly remote area, we get a lot of visitors because it's a country park.

"We haven't had a lot of fires… maybe five in the 30 years we've been here, but this is the most serious and the most irresponsible, really."

Shropshire Fire and Rescue said that if the public used a portable barbecue, they needed to make sure it was in a safe place, away from flammables, such as dry grass or woodlands.

It urged people to never leave barbecues unattended and to make sure they are completely extinguished by submerging the coals in cold water.

Ms Jones said she did not think people thought ahead.

"I think they just think about what they want to do, and then they think that they've left it and it's dead," she said."

"If you absolutely have to use one… take it home with you and make sure it's safely disposed of, don't leave it in the countryside."