Following a series of major fires across the county last night (13 August), Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has made an urgent plea for the public to make sensible choices to minimise the risk of further fires.

Six firefighters were taken to hospital after tackling the fires.

They were suffering from heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation after having to work in extremely hot weather.

Chief Fire Officer, Glynn Luznyj, said: "Crews have been working tirelessly through the night and thankfully the Goldenhill, Parkhall, Tamworth and Cannock Chase fires are now under control.

"Right now, we need your help.

"Our resources are extremely stretched at the moment because of the unprecedented demand we're facing.

"Our firefighters are putting themselves in harm's way, night and day, to protect our local community.

"Unfortunately, this has resulted in numerous firefighters being taken to hospital.

"Five have thankfully been discharged and the sixth continues to recover.

"It is absolutely crucial that we all act together to do everything possible to minimise the risks of further fires at this time.

"Please do not burn garden waste and if you are going to have a barbeque, do so responsibly by keeping them away from vegetation and keeping a water source or sand nearby.

"Finally, I would like to thank the local community for their support during this period of unprecedented demand.

"It has been great to see people coming together to support each other.

"Crews have been provided with free food and refreshments and we've seen that people are coming forward to provide spare furniture and goods to those who have lost them to fires.

"We're working extremely hard to keep everyone safe, but we really need people to do their part to prevent these fires from happening in the first place."

For more information about staying safe outside, click here.