Crews say field fire 'started by glass bottles'

A large fire which affected a field and woodland in Shropshire is thought to have been caused by discarded glass bottles, the fire service said.

Two Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service crews were initially called to the incident in High Hatton, near Hodnet, at about 14:16 BST on Wednesday.

A large column of smoke could be seen from some distance away as the blaze ripped through about 100 square metres of stubble, grass and undergrowth and into woodland.

After more 999 calls reported it was spreading rapidly and crews saw how large and difficult it was to control, more firefighters were sent to help.

A Market Drayton Fire Station spokesperson said the incident was brought under control about an hour after firefighters arrived, and no one was hurt.

"The fire is believed to have been caused by discarded broken glass bottles," they added.

A drone equipped with thermal imaging was used to give the incident commander an aerial view of the scene and helped identify hidden hotspots.

Local farmers also helped by using tractors and ploughs to create fire breaks, stopping the blaze from spreading into neighbouring fields.

The fire service thanked the farmers for providing machinery and a fire bowser.

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.