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Rushmere Heath: Fire crews monitoring for hot spots

Jamie Niblock/BBC Rushmere Heath fireJamie Niblock/BBC
Station manager Andy Message said fire crews "worked very hard in arduous conditions" to get the fire under control

Firefighters are continuing to monitor the heathland site of a large gorse blaze on the outskirts of a town.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service was called to the 2.8 hectare (7 acre)-fire on Rushmere Heath, on the edge of Ipswich, at 17:40 BST on Tuesday.

The fire was got under control, but a few hot spots remained so crews were carrying out regular inspections, a spokeswoman said.

The fire service received 149 calls about the blaze as it took hold.

Jamie Niblock/BBC Rushmere Heath fireJamie Niblock/BBC
Six crews tackled the blaze, which is on heathland on the eastern edge of Ipswich, the fire service said

David King, general manager of Rushmere Golf Club which covers most of Rushmere Heath, said it was "quite a shocking thing to see" but "the course itself has not been damaged by the fire".

"The public must be made aware that, during these severely dry conditions, fires start easily - from a discarded cigarette or even a glass bottle, and then grow very quickly indeed," he added.

Jamie Niblock/BBC Rushmere Heath fireJamie Niblock/BBC
Nearly 150 calls were received about the incident
Jamie Niblock/BBC Rushmere Heath fireJamie Niblock/BBC
The fire spread across the heath, which is common land used by walkers with footpaths criss-crossing the golf course
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