Cumbria: Warning over 'massive rise' in disposable barbecue fires

It took crews several hours to tackle one blaze close to Ullswater

People responsible for causing wildfires in Cumbria are being warned they could be prosecuted for arson.

The fire and rescue service said there had been a "massive increase" in calls, with several reported in June.

On Saturday, crews were called to a blaze at Buttermere which took five hours to put out, and on Sunday to another at Surprise View, Keswick.

Station manager Mike Wilkinson warned that "carelessness is not without consequence".

The fire is believed to have been started by a disposable barbecue

It comes as the public are being reminded not to light fires in the countryside, especially during periods of hot weather.

Firefighters have also faced challenges getting to rural locations.

At midnight on 2 June, Penrith fire station was alerted to a large fire in the Watermillock area, next to Ullswater, which took several hours to bring under control.

Crews did not return to their home station until around 07:00 BST.

The fire is believed to have started from a disposal barbecue.

Crews managed to prevent any further damage following the fire at Surprise View on Sunday

Last week, a bonfire on an island at Rydal Water took five hours to extinguish and posed "logistical" challenges for crews to reach it.

"While we are dealing with that we are not available for other incidents so logistically they are a large-scale incident and probably one of the more complex ones we deal with regularly," Mr Wilkinson said.

"These types of incidents pose significant threats to firefighters but also pose a big risk to the environment itself."