logo
Warning as firefighters tackle blaze at house in Staplecross

Warning as firefighters tackle blaze at house in Staplecross

BBC News07-05-2025
Warning as firefighters tackle blaze at house
Firefighters were called to the blaze in Staplecross on Wednesday morning
Firefighters are tackling a large blaze at a house in the village of Staplecross.
East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) were called to the fire at what they called a "large property" in Northiam Road at 04:20 BST on Wednesday.
Road closures are in place and nearby residents have been urged to avoid the area and keep their windows and doors shut, ESFRS said.
In an update at 08:55, the service said it was continuing to tackle the blaze, which was also affecting surrounding buildings, though it has scaled down its presence to three fire engines.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Long traffic delays on M5 northbound due to Avonmouth Bridge fault
Long traffic delays on M5 northbound due to Avonmouth Bridge fault

BBC News

timean hour ago

  • BBC News

Long traffic delays on M5 northbound due to Avonmouth Bridge fault

Drivers leaving the South West have been caught in more than three hours of queues caused by emergency repairs to a bridge. Three lanes of the M5 northbound are closed after a faulty bridge join was discovered on the Avonmouth Bridge, near junction 18, at about 07:00 BST. Queues are currently stretching 14 miles (22km) back to junction 21 for Weston-super-Mare.A National Highways spokesperson has said the lanes are expected to remain closed for several hours. A temporary fix was initially carried out but it soon became clear a permanent solution was "quickly needed", the spokesperson explained the warm weather is affecting the speed at which the repairs can be carried out, with materials used to fix the issue taking longer to cure.

Spain deploys 500 more troops to battle wildfires during extended heatwave
Spain deploys 500 more troops to battle wildfires during extended heatwave

The Independent

time2 hours ago

  • The Independent

Spain deploys 500 more troops to battle wildfires during extended heatwave

Spain is deploying a further 500 soldiers to battle wildfires that have torn through parched woodland during a prolonged spell of scorching weather, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Sunday. The decision to add to the more than 1,400 troops already on wildfire duty came as authorities struggled to contain forest blazes, especially in the northwestern Galicia region, and awaited the arrival of promised aircraft reinforcements from other European countries. Firefighters are tackling 12 major wildfires in Galicia, all of them near the city of Ourense, the head of the Galician regional government Alfonso Rueda told a press conference with Sánchez. ' Homes are still under threat so we have lockdowns in place and are carrying out evacuations,' Rueda said. Galicia has been battling the spreading flames for more than a week. Temperatures in Spain could reach 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in some areas on Sunday, the Spanish national weather agency AEMET said. On Saturday, the maximum temperature was 44.7 degrees Celsius (112.46 degrees Fahrenheit) in the southern city of Cordoba, it said. 'This Sunday, when extraordinarily high temperatures are expected, the danger of wildfires is extreme in most of the country,' AEMET said on the social platform X. The fires in Spain this year have burned 158,000 hectares (390,000 acres), according to the European Union's European Forest Fire Information System. That is an area roughly as big as metropolitan London. Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Scientists say that climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of heat and dryness in parts of Europe, making the region more vulnerable to wildfires. Spain was expecting the arrival of two Dutch water-dumping planes that were to join aircraft from France and Italy already helping Spanish authorities under a European cooperation agreement. Firefighters from other countries are also expected to arrive in the region in coming days, Spain's Civil Protection Agency chief Virginia Barcones told public broadcaster RTVE. National rail operator Renfe said it suspended Madrid-Galicia high-speed train services scheduled for Sunday due to the fires. Galician authorities advised people to wear face masks and limit their time spent outdoors to avoid inhaling smoke and ash. Portugal is set for cooler weather in coming days after a spate of severe woodland fires. A national state of alert due to wildfires was enacted Aug. 2 and was due to end Sunday, a day before two Swedish firefighting planes were to arrive. As in Spain, Portugal's resources have been stretched. On Sunday, more than 4,000 firefighters and more than 1,300 vehicles were deployed, as well as 17 aircraft, the country's Civil Protection Agency said. The scorched area of forest in Portugal so far this year is 17 times higher than in 2024, at around 139,000 hectares, according to preliminary calculations by the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests, a government body. Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania have also requested help from the EU's firefighting force in recent days to deal with forest fires. The force has already been activated as many times this year as in all of last year's summer fire season.

Water shortage could close Northamptonshire's canals
Water shortage could close Northamptonshire's canals

BBC News

time3 hours ago

  • BBC News

Water shortage could close Northamptonshire's canals

The organisation that runs England's waterways says parts of the Grand Union Canal could close later this month unless there is more on using some locks in Northamptonshire were imposed on Canal and River Trust (CRT) says they could be taken out of action completely on Tuesday if water levels do not who sell their wares from narrowboats say they are worried about the situation. On Friday, the CRT introduced limited opening hours on the Grand Union Canal's locks in the Braunston, Buckby and Stoke Bruerne areas, numbered 1 to can use them only between 10:00 and 15:00 trust said that, if levels did not improve, they would be closed to boats around the clock from 26 Northampton Arm, which runs from the Gayton Junction on the Grand Union to the Nene in Northampton, will be closed to boats from 16:00 BST on 20 August. The CRT said: "Our charity's teams and volunteers have been working round the clock to manage water levels but, with such little rainfall and reservoir holdings dwindling, we've had to temporarily close some locks to boats."This will help us save water to help keep boats afloat, protect the wildlife that lives in the canal, and safeguard the canal infrastructure itself."The trust added that although there had been some downpours recently, sustained rain was needed to top up the reservoirs that feed the said the canals would reopen as soon as water levels allowed and it was "grateful to boaters for their support and patience". Daisy Hampshire, whose floating cafe Daisy's Bakin' Butty is a familiar sight on Northamptonshire's waterways, is hoping the weather said: "The news of the lock closures has been expected but obviously worrying for us as traders, although for the time being we are able to continue attending our next two festivals. "We're not planning long term because it depends on rain, but the likelihood is that we will have to stay in this area until we get a significant rainfall in order to return home."The CRT said towpaths would remain open for walkers, cyclists and those who want to spend time near the water. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store