Latest news with #ShropshireFireAndRescue
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
Bridgnorth Pride paraphernalia stolen, says organiser
Bunting, posters and a rainbow flag put up to celebrate Bridgnorth Pride were torn down and stolen by people opposing the event, organisers 250 people attended the event last weekend, including Bridgnorth mayor David Cooper, West Mercia Police, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service and the National organiser Huw Rees said although the event passed off without any trouble, items were removed or stolen in the lead up and the said he planned to run the event again next year and "the negativity shows exactly why Pride events are needed in small rural towns like Bridgnorth". After a parade around Castle Walk and the grounds, there was a performance by Shropshire Rock Choir and events in local venues, he said."The rainbow flag was pulled down from the town council flagpole and stolen after just two days, while posters have been torn off windows and bunting has been ripped off railings, some binned and some stolen," he said."This is on top of many hundreds of homophobic and transphobic comments on social media."Mr Rees said he started the event two years ago after experiencing homophobic abuse in Bridgnorth but said he did not want to focus on the negativity as events like his were important and would continue."Cities have LGBTQ+ venues year-round and access to them is easy. Shropshire has very few venues catering specifically to the LGBTQ+ community, if any at all, and the lack of public transport makes access to cities difficult. "This isolates the local LGBTQ+ community from support, but by holding a Pride event here it gives them an opportunity to come together in solidarity." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Much Wenlock farm shop owners 'heartbroken' after fire
"How your day can change in an hour, it's unbelievable."On Monday morning, everything changed for Peter and Alison Themans when they woke up to find their Shropshire farm shop on blaze, which was caused by an electrical fault, "completely destroyed" Wenlock Edge Farm in Much Wenlock, emergency services said."Bizarrely you think at the start 'I can put it out', but it was roaring and you couldn't get near it, it was so intense," Mr Themans said. The couple said that their neighbours had been knocking on their door to warn them about the fire in the early hours of the said they were "heartbroken" by the fire which had destroyed all the work they had put into the farm over the last two decades."It's not something you expect in the middle of the night, but these things happen. We're very shocked and upset," Ms Themans said. Mr and Mrs Themans said that the fire had been moving through the building at "such a pace" but thanked Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service for responding so couple plan to rebuild the farm shop and start all over again after speaking to their insurers. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said that crews managed to isolate electrics during the fire and dampened down the area to ensure it was safe. Crews from Shrewsbury, Tweedale, Much Wenlock, Craven Arms, Church Stretton and Bridgnorth tackled the fire. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Shropshire dry weather sees 24 fires in the open in a week
Dry and sunny weather has seen 24 fires in open spaces over the past seven days in Fire and Rescue Service station manager Craig Jackson said there had been a long spell of dry weather, and also prolonged winds coming from the east."When the winds come from the east, or south, it's quite a dry wind, because it's coming across a large land mass," he said, adding that easterly winds dried out fuel for fires such as grass, gorse and Jackson said the fire service was asking the public to stay vigilant, adding that the majority of fires in the open were caused by people. "They're normally through barbecues, outdoor fires, cigarettes, bonfires in gardens where the hot embers can travel in the wind and start fires elsewhere," he urged people having barbecues at home to keep them away from fences and sheds, to put them out properly afterwards, and to keep hosepipes or buckets of water to in the open and wildfires had an impact on the fire service, he said, explaining a fire in the open was only classed as a wildfire when it reached a certain criteria."Wildfires take a lot of resources and also a lot of water," he said the fire service worked with other partners such as the councils, Met Office and National Trust to identify where the fire risks were. "We make sure we have plans in place so if we do have a large fire in those areas, we can move resources and act quickly," he said. Trees and grass alight Incidents recorded as "fire in open" in recent weeks in Shropshire included a fire in a hedgerow caused by discarded smoking were fires at recreation grounds, others involved fences and decking, and some fires involved bonfires and braziers and an unattended campfire. A fire in Albrighton followed hot ashes added to garden of grass and undergrowth trees on fire came from several incidents involved hot ashes in undergrowth, two involving barbecues, and one involving a discarded tyre. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Telford factory fire thought to be accidental
A fire that broke out at a factory in Telford, with 30 firefighters involved at its height, is not thought to be suspicious, Shropshire Fire and Rescue service has were called to the Halesfield 5 industrial estate at about 19:00 BST on Wednesday appliances were at the scene during the fire's peak, but it was brought under control and prevented from Fire and Rescue Service station manager Craig Jackson said: "We carried out a fire investigation last night, which is still ongoing. However, we are looking at more of an accidental cause." He added: "Nobody was in the property at the time, thankfully, so nobody was injured, but we're not looking at anything suspicious at this time." Mr Jackson said the fire service had received a high number of calls from the public after the fire broke appliances that were sent to the scene included the aerial ladder platform and a drone."Due to the excellent work by the crews and fire control, we were able to get a quick stop on the fire, and we got it under control quickly," Mr Jackson said. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
