Blidworth fire: Blaze 'under control' after major incident declared

About 75 firefighters were deployed to the scene in Blidworth

Fire crews have worked throughout the night to tackle a large blaze on farmland in Nottinghamshire which is now under control.

The county's fire and rescue service said it was called out to the fire at a farm in Blidworth Lane, Blidworth, at about 13:35 BST on Tuesday.

About 15 crews and 85 firefighters attended the scene which was declared a major incident by the service.

Five crews remain at the scene ensuring no hotspots remain.

Several homes were evacuated as firefighters dealt with the large fire which started in a forest.

Neighbours have since been allowed back to their homes after the fire service managed to surround the blaze.

The fire has seriously damaged an area of woodland

No injuries were reported.

Station manager Richard Ellis said he expected firefighters to remain at the scene for at least another 24 hours.

"The majority of what's happening in the woods now is just smouldering, so the possibility of it flaring up to the extent it did yesterday is slim," he said.

"Winds are predicted to increase, not dramatically, but we're going to have to monitor the effect of that wind closely to see if it does cause fire to spread."

The fire came as the service was under pressure during the heatwave on Tuesday.

Calls diverted

Nottinghamshire Fire Service said their control room had taken 906 calls in 36 hours, against an average of 110 in 24 hours.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Nottinghamshire - and just half a degree below the new UK record - was 39.8C (103.6F) at Watnall, just a few miles from Blidworth.

A fire service spokesperson said: "Let's hope the weather is on our side today, but we want to remind you all to stay safe outdoors."

Emergency call handlers for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire dealt with an increase in calls of more than 312% since Monday morning.

Calls at one point were diverted to Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service due to the high demand.