RAKES, shovels and other equipment were used by Ellesmere firefighters to tackle a fire in the open near the town on Sunday evening.

One Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) crew was sent to Welshampton at around 7pm on Sunday after reports of the fire.

A spokesman for the service confirmed that a conifer tree was on reported to be on fire and that firefighters were able to tackle the blaze.

They said: “One large conifer tree was involved in the fire.

“Crews used a hosereel jet to extinguish and drag rakes to deal with the debris. A thermal imaging camera was used to check for hot spots.”

Mathooks were also used.

A stop message confirming no further support was required was sent to SFRS control around 25 minutes after arrival.