OKEHAMPTON fire service was called to two gorse fires in the Shilstone Tor— Black Broom Copse area over the weekend. One fire was reported at 2pm on Friday April 20, and a second at 10am the following Saturday. The crews investigating both fires had to travel significant distances deep into the moor in order to reach them. Both had been caused by campfires being lit in peat-based areas. The crews struggled to control them due to their remote location but also their deep-seated character because of the peat. Fortunately, both were in areas where it was difficult for them to spread far. However, fire chief Ian Donovan said: 'If they'd been lit just a little further up the hill, they would have spread and we could have had a very serious fire on our hands.' The fire service is appealing to people using the moor to take extreme care with matches, stoves and cigarettes in the current dry conditions.
