Salisbury Plain fires: Crews barred from tackling MoD blaze due to explosion risk

Fire crews have been told they cannot enter Salisbury Plain to tackle fires on Ministry of Defence land due to risks caused by unexploded bombs.

An MoD spokesman confirmed there were several fires burning in the Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA).

He said all live firing had ceased for now but would not confirm whether military activity had caused the fires.

Emergency personnel were on standby should the fires spread beyond MoD land, the spokesman added.

In a newsletter published in June the MoD advised there would be armoured exercises carried out in the SPTA in the first three weeks of July.

It said they would be free-flow exercises that would see wheeled and armoured vehicles moving about the area both during the day and night.

Meanwhile Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued an amber wildfire warning over increased fire risk due to the current spell of hot and dry weather.

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