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Suffolk field fires being put out across the county

Martin Giles/BBC A field fire in Bentley, SuffolkMartin Giles/BBC
Crews were called to tackle a field fire in Bentley on Thursday afternoon

A fire service has asked people not to use barbeques or open fires after it attended a number of field fires.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said on Thursday it had experienced a "busy one" with crews going to incidents in Bentley, Thorndon and Rattlesden.

Forty acres (16 hectares) of stubble and hedges was burnt on Stowmarket Road, Rattlesden, at about 14:48 BST, it said.

There was an "extreme fire risk" over the next few days, it added.

On Friday afternoon, the A14 was closed near the Orwell Bridge at Ipswich after a fire near the highway. It caused big tailbacks and traffic queues as vehicles diverted into the town.

Crews were called at about 13:30 with the fire out by about 16:00. The A14 reopened, but delays continued on surrounding roads during the evening rush hour.

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Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service A field fire in Rattlesden, SuffolkSuffolk Fire & Rescue Service
Twelve appliances were sent to Rattlesden, close to Stowmarket

In Thursday's incidents, people in Thorndon used hosepipes to dampen the ground to try to stop flames spreading in a field before the fire service arrived.

Graeme Cann said he feared his house was at risk: "When I arrived, the first thing I saw was the massive plumes of black smoke and the noise was immense, crackling beyond belief. It looked horrendous."

Graeme Cann, a resident of Thorndon, standing in a blackened field after a fire.
Graeme Cann said between 10 and 15 villagers were trying to stop flames spreading in Thorndon

Richard Nowak, who lives along the edge of the field, said: "As soon as we got to the back garden, we saw how close the fire was. It was raging. It's a scary thing, the speed at which it was coming towards the house."

Fire station manager Alan Coldwell said: "Crews worked extremely hard in this heat to stop the [Rattlesden] fire spreading to neighbouring properties."

The incident was scaled down and crews were left dampening down and dealing with hotspots, he added.

Martin Giles/BBC A field fire in Bentley, SuffolkMartin Giles/BBC
Twelve crews were also sent to the fire in Bentley where people were asked to keep their windows and doors closed

"If I could ask members of the public to be very cautious during the weekend as the conditions are very dry," he said.

"We're attending a lot of incidents of this nature, so if you could avoid using barbeques, and open fires and bonfires it would be much appreciated."

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