Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is appealing for information after a series of deliberate fires at Park Hall Country Park on Hulme Road in Stoke-on-Trent in the past week.
Record number of deliberate fires in July
Ben Sourbutts, from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said there have been 137 deliberate fires so far in July across the county, some of which have taken considerable resources to put out.
"This is a period of considerable resource use for us, and an increased level of incidents cross the city and the county as a whole," he said.
"These deliberate fires that we're experiencing obviously take our resources and our firefighters away from vital and potentially life-threatening incidents that we do need to be responding to."
Significant rise in grass and outdoor fires
There has been a large rise in the number of grass fires, wildfires and outdoor fires during the recent dry and hot weather. Last year saw a 70% increase compared to the year before, and a further increase is expected this year.
Local walkers have reported the impact on the landscape. "It's just horrendous - the loss of wildlife, the loss of wild trees and things," said Jules Heyhoe. "It's just quite barren in comparison to what it always is normally."
Julian Read, another regular visitor, added: "I come twice a day up here, walking the dogs. It's all the wildlife that's losing its habitat as well."
Carelessness blamed for many fires
Many of the fires were caused by carelessness, firefighters said. "Many of these fires are accidental and they're caused by carelessness. They're caused by the dropping of litter, the dropping of cigarettes, the use of barbecues and disposal of garden waste through small bonfires," Sourbutts said.
"Because we've had this extra hot and dry weather these fires can become out of control extremely easily."
Anyone with information about deliberate fires at Park Hall Country Park or elsewhere should contact the police.