Golf course fire was organised burn that became 'uncontrolled'

Gorse blaze made worse by windy conditions

Firefighters say a blaze in Peel today (6 May) was sparked by an organised burn that got out of control.

Four fire appliances, and three off-road vehicles, were called to Peel Golf Course just after 1pm.

On arrival they found a large area of gorse alight which was spreading quickly due to the windy conditions.

Access was difficult due to its location; it was also in the vicinity of overhead electrical wires and pylons.

Manx Utilities isolated the electricity supply whilst firefighters worked to extinguish the fire.

It took around two hours and 30 minutes to bring the fire under control with crews remaining on site for a further two hours to prevent reignition.

In a statement the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service said maintaining a water supply was ‘challenging’ and a water relay had to be utilised.

It added: “We would like to thank our colleagues from DEFA, Manx Utilities and the police for their assistance with this incident.

“We would also like to thank members of the public for their patience while a road closure was in place.”