Ashfield fire crew among five to tackle suspected arson attack in country park

Firefighters were called to the incident on the afternoon of April 6 and spent five hours at the scene, putting the blaze out and then ensuring the area was safe.

The crews were helped by the use of the new Polaris firefighting vehicle from Tuxford Fire Station.

Despite that, and the efforts of the fire crews involved, however, a large area of park woodland was still destroyed.

And fire crews believe the cause of the blaze was likely arson and have urgently warned people of the dangers of setting fires in areas like country parks.

Posting on their Facebook page, Arnold Fire Station, who got the initial call to the incident, said: “Unfortunately after many reports from witness it’s highly likely this was caused by arson.

“In the end it took five appliances in total to get this fire under control as well as our new Polaris rural firefighting vehicle from Tuxford.

"A big thank you to Hucknall Fire Station, Carlton Fire Station, Ashfield Fire Station and Tuxford Fire Station for your assistance.

"It can’t be overstated that, due to arson, a large area of natural beauty has been damaged and a lot of fire service resources were tied up for some considerable time.

"This is the damage that one match can do in a dry wooded area.

"Please impress upon your children the dangers of arson to themselves and the local area, especially as we are now in the run up to the summer.”