Out of control campfire in South Downs village sparks warning

Retained (on-call) firefighters from Storrington Fire Station were mobilised to reports of a fire in the open at Sullington Warren after an off-duty member of the crew spotted a group of young people with a fire just before 9.30pm on Tuesday June 2 while out walking his dog, according to a spokesman.

Storrington retained watch commander Steve Philby said: “When we arrived at the scene, the group of young people made a run for it.

“By the looks of it they had started a sort of makeshift campfire on the green, but this had spread to one of the wooden logs that people use as a bench.”

The fire was extinguished using one high pressure hose reel, and firefighters damped down the surrounding area to ensure there was no further spread.

Steve added: “We have had a spell of really nice weather lately, so it’s understandable that people want to make the most of being outdoors.

“But in such dry conditions, starting uncontrolled campfires like this can be incredibly dangerous.

“All it takes is for one spark form the fire to land on a patch of dry grass, or a fence, and before you know it you are faced with quite a significant incident that could put lives at risk.”

Firefighters rescued a football from the blaze last night, according to Steve.

He said: “[The ball] was left behind when the group left in a hurry.

“If they would like to come down to the station and collect it we would be more than happy to show them some of the work we do – in a socially distanced manner – no questions asked or any repercussions.

“At the end of the day, all we want is for members of our community to enjoy the summer weather in a safe and responsible way.”

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