A NUMBER of gorse fires were tackled by firefighters throughout West Devon last week due to the dry weather.

Within one day last Thursday firefighters were called to deal with around three gorse fires, including one which caused huge tailbacks along the A386 to Plymouth.

The route was closed as firefighters tackled an acre of blazing gorse on Roborough Down at around 11.45am.

One crew from Yelverton attended and requested Princetown attend for its off-road capabilities. Firefighters used four hosereel jets and beaters but much of the fire was left to to die down naturally.

Then at around 5pm on Thursday one crew from Princetown attended a gorse fire at Riddon Ridge, Bellever.

Due to the height of the gorse, firefighters could not gain access and had to monitor the fire, but gradually it began to spread towards a property, which is when a further two crews from Moretonhampstead and Yelverton were requested.

On arrival fire crews found the gorse well-alight and approximately 6ft high, and by 7.30pm there were three seats of fire. By around 9.20pm the fires in the gorse were being monitored.

Also on Thursday Tavistock firefighters attended a gorse fire at Devil's Bridge, Princetown, where approximately five acres of moorland were involved.

Then on Sunday firefighters from Tavistock, Yelverton, Okehampton, Moretonhampstead and Plymouth battled a huge blaze near Nun's Cross Farm, Princetown, along with a police helicopter and a Dartmoor National Park LandRover.

A single crew from Princetown arrived just after 1pm, but called for reinforcements when firefighters found two square kilometres of moorland burning on four fronts.

Responding to the request were crews from Tavistock, Crownhill, Ivybridge and Greenbank. The incident support unit from Greenbank also attended.

By 3.35pm crews from Bere Alston, Plympton, Plymstock, Moretonhampstead and Kingston had been mobilised, along with the four-wheel-drive vehicle from Bovey Tracey.

By 5pm, firefighters said that around three square kilometres of moorland had been severely damaged by fire.