Road shut after adders and toads killed in fire

Adders and toads were among the animals killed after a disposable barbecue sparked a wildfire that destroyed a football pitch-sized area of protected heath-land at Cannock Chase.

Firefighters were called at about 18:00 BST on Thursday to Brocton and were still damping down hot spots on Friday, Staffordshire County Council said.

The blaze scorched part of Sherbrook Valley, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.

Chase Road through the area was temporarily closed after the blaze, as part of efforts to stop any smouldering areas from catching light again, a council spokesperson said.

The road was shut from Camp Road to Brocton Nursery and would be until at least Monday, when the risk of a fresh blaze would be reassessed, they added.

"The fire service was fortunately able to bring the fire under control but we may not be so lucky next time with the site being so close to irreplaceable veteran oak trees," Hayley Coles, the council's deputy leader, said.

"I was particularly sad to learn that animals lost their lives in the blaze and a large amount of rare heath-land habitat was lost."

The blaze was believed to have been caused by a disposable barbecue, which are banned at Cannock Chase, Rich Williams, from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said.

"It is absolutely crucial that people adhere to this ban as incidents like this place significant demand on resources during an already very busy period," he added.

With a drought declared in the West Midlands, residents were urged to take extra care to avoid causing wildfires outside.

Staffordshire and West Midlands Fire Control said Wednesday was one of their busiest days of the year with 800 calls about incidents.

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