FIRE chiefs are urging people to help keep communities safe after crews tackled a number of major fires across Staffordshire.
Six firefighters have been taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and the effects of heat exhaustion as high temperatures continued to pose problems.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service's Chief Fire Officer Glynn Luznyj said:
"Crews have been working tirelessly through the night and thankfully fires are now under control.
"But our resources are extremely stretched at the moment because of the unprecedented demand we're facing. Our firefighters are putting themselves in harm’s way, night and day, to protect our local community.
"Unfortunately, this has resulted in numerous firefighters being taken to hospital. Five have thankfully been discharged and the sixth continues to recover.
"It is absolutely crucial that we all act together to do everything possible to minimise the risks of further fires at this time."
The Chief Fire Officer added that local residents can play their part in helping to reduce risk.
He said: "Please do not burn garden waste – and if you are going to have a barbecue, do so responsibly by keeping them away from vegetation and keeping a water source or sand nearby.
"I would like to thank the local community for their support during this period of unprecedented demand.
"It has been great to see people coming together to support each other. Crews have been provided with free food and refreshments and we've seen that people are coming forward to provide spare furniture and goods to those who have lost them to fires.
"We're working extremely hard to keep everyone safe, but we really need people to do their part to prevent these fires from happening in the first place."
