A North Yorkshire business owner took swift action this week and extinguished a woodland fire he encountered in Sherburn in Elmet.
Pete, who didn’t give his surname was on his way back from work on Wednesday (25 June), when he noticed smoke rising from a wooded area off Moor Lane.
With a background as a former North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service member, Pete knew something wasn’t right and safely pulled over to investigate.
Between the trees was an abandoned timber bed frame and mattress, which had been set alight intentionally and dumped in the middle of a gathering of trees.
Fortunately, Pete’s DrainBusters Yorkshire work van is equipped with a water tank and hose, used for dealing with drainage issues and leaks.
Pete told YorkMix, “Natural instinct is to keep yourself safe, but also make sure that things don’t escalate. So using the hose, I put the fire out without getting too close to it.”
He managed to successfully extinguish the flames using the water available in the van, though the area still needed dampening down as it continued to smoulder.
Petes next move was to inform North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, to report the situation and update them on the reduced urgency.
“I wanted to make sure the driver was more at ease, being ex fire service myself I know that the ‘red mist’ can affect how you drive if you feel under pressure.
“My thinking was, if there were reports of smoke coming from an area near houses and woodland, they’ll be coming down pretty quickly. So I made sure that the driver could relax and get to the job,” he added.
Upon arrival, Pete briefed the Tadcaster fire crew and left the scene in their capable hands.
“I just don’t understand why people do things like this, it’s selfish, it’s inconsiderate, and there’s just no need for it. Whoever can just dump a bed and then set it on fire with trees all around it, shame on you!” Pete told YorkMix.
He shared his frustration to Facebook, which prompted a strong reaction from the local community:
- “Just unbelievable, lazy low life could have taken it to the tip! Well done to you for sorting it. What is wrong with people?”
- “Well done, it’s disgusting that some people think they can spoil our countryside when we have recycling places. Don’t worry I’m a great believer in Karma and it will catch up with them.”
- “Think it’s time for the police to really clamp down on this!”
- “We have council tips for this. We pay council tax, so use the facility. These people obviously had the means to transport their rubbish, just use some common sense! Well done putting the fire out . At least it didn’t progress into something worse and start a wildfire.”
A A North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson said: “A crew from Tadcaster responded to a report of a fire to a mattress and timber structure in a wooded area. Crews extinguished the fire using one hose reel jet.”