Fire chief's heatwave warning after cause of blaze which forced residents to flee 50 homes in Derbyshire village remains a mystery

Firefighters tackled the blaze which affected crop, woodland and hedgerow on Friday afternoon. Residents were able to return to their homes at 7.30pm.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service Group Manager Darren Perrott said: "Following a fire investigation, the exact cause of the fire at Creswell remains unknown."At the present time we are dealing with exceptional circumstances with heat and dry conditions meaning the risk of fire is highly likely, therefore as evidenced at this incident, a fire can escalate rapidly impacting not only on our communities, but also on our emergency resources as we are tied up dealing with large incidents.‘We continue to repeat our warnings for people to take extra care during the heatwave - no barbecues in open spaces, be extra cautious disposing of cigarettes and ensure you don’t leave rubbish, particularly glass bottles laying around.

READ THIS: 17 photos show parched fields, dwindling rivers and barren reservoirs across Derbyshire – as drought is officially declared"I’d also like to remind people to report any information about deliberate fire setting anonymously to FireStoppers on 0800 169 5558 or online at firestoppersreport.co.uk - this will help us prevent deliberate fires and the impact they can have on communities and the environment."

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