Tyne and Wear wildfires tackled with one 'torched deliberately'

Flames were seen coming from fields which backed on to homes in Walbottle, Newcastle

A series of wildfires are being tackled for a second day, with one thought to have been started deliberately.

Firefighters described "a close call" after a large fire broke out in fields close to homes in Walbottle, Newcastle, with some residents evacuated.

Crews remained there on Thursday night using drones to rule out more flames.

The Tyne and Wear Fire Service hit out at the "stupidity" of people starting a field fire on purpose in Witherwack, Sunderland, while it was so stretched.

Another fire is being tackled in Skelton, East Cleveland, which broke out at a large cornfield at about 17:30 BST.

Firefighters have also been dealing with a blaze at Scripton Gill, Brandon in County Durham.

Several crews attended the scene to stop the fire from spreading on Thursday

The fire in Walbottle started on Thursday afternoon and it is not known how it started.

Residents who were told to leave their homes have since returned.

Photographs taken from a garden show flames burning through the grass. Some fences and a conservatory have been badly damaged.

One resident told the BBC she had only ever seen scenes like it on TV from the USA

The service said crews did "an amazing job" to prevent flames from reaching properties and police were also called.

There have been no reports of any injuries.

"They remain in the area to keep on top of the fire as it is still continuing to burn through grass," a spokesperson said.

Resident Len Stewart found out about the fire from a friend, as he was unaware it was happing outside his home.

"I went to have a look out the back and all the soot was coming down," he told the BBC.

"I put my hosepipe on my back fence because it was alight and the lady next door's bushes in the back garden were alight. I thought I better do something, but the next thing I knew a police officer said 'out' and that was it.

"The fire bridge have done a cracking job - they are still out there making sure it's out."

Another homeowner told the BBC she had only ever seen similar images "on TV from America".

"It was quite scary - we were at work when my neighbour told me there was a fire, so we came home. It has affected the five fields behind us."

Crews spent more than 20 hours trying to control a blaze which broke out in a field in Ryton on Wednesday, which also put nearby properties at risk.

The fire service said Wednesday was busier than Bonfire Night, with a day's worth of calls received in just three hours and 60 fires attended, including 16 grass fires.

The field in Witherwack had been targeted in the past, it said.

"It is believed to have been started deliberately which is incredibly irresponsible in this weather," a spokesperson said.

"It is under control, but we are thinly spread as we are without this kind of stupidity."

Fire crews believe a field fire in Witherwack, Sunderland, was set alight on purpose

Meanwhile in County Durham, firefighters were tackling a large grass fire in Scripton Gill, Brandon, which broke out just after 13:00 BST.

A photograph of the scene showed a badly charred field with smoke coming from what appeared to be bales of hay.

A large grass fire also broke out on Thursday in Scripton Gill, Brandon

Five crews were initially called to the area, with County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service tweeting: "Please spare a thought for our firefighters & control room staff who are working extremely hard in difficult conditions."

At Ryton, six fire engines, a fire boat and 28 firefighters worked through the night to battle the blaze, and their work has continued at the scene damping down the remaining embers.

The blaze at Ryton left a large area of land scorched and blackened

At Easington Lane, Sunderland, five more fire engines were called to an allotment fire that had put neighbouring homes at risk.

Tyne and Wear's deputy chief fire officer Peter Heath said: "Last night we saw a huge surge in calls and attended incidents where relatively small fires had been exacerbated by the heat and led to a much more challenging response. 

"We want to ask the public to work with us and behave responsibly during the hot weather." 

Firefighters were called to a large allotment fire in Easington Lane on Wednesday

Mr Heath urged people not to use barbecues in the countryside, to avoid setting bonfires and be careful of disposing cigarettes and glass bottles. 

He said: "Although temperatures are not expected to reach the levels that we saw last month, the hot weather comes at a time where things are already tinder-dry. This presents a serious increase in the chances of fire and rapid fire spread. 

"It is important to take your rubbish away with you, particularly glass bottles or objects. These can concentrate sunlight and spark fires that put people's lives at risk."