The park is made up of a series of fields and waterways and is used for a variety of outdoor recreational activities such as cycling, water sports and hiking, with paths along a canal. Kent Fire and Rescue Service has five fire engines, plus a misting unit and an all terrain vehicle on site, where the crew with hose reels and beaters fight a grass fire of approximately 100,000 square feet (approximately 400m x 250m).
No injuries have been reported.
In a social media post published at 11:39 p.m., Kent Fire and Rescue asked locals to “please share this information with loved ones and neighbors in the affected area, who may not have access to social media”.
According to KentOnline, a witness Mick Lovering, 50, a garbage collector from Sittingbourne, was camping with friends in a caravan when he saw the fire start.
He told the publication: “We watched the fireworks.
“The fire was lit from planes firing sparks and fireworks from their tail sections which were fired towards the ground and set fire to the very dry grass.”
He added: “Due to what is going on at the moment and the bushfires in the news, I don’t think it was very wise to continue.
“We had seen some drones and they were spectacular. They should have stopped.
“Now we have a caravan that smells like smoke. Everything needs to be cleaned.”
He said he thought he would be safe from the fire, as the land at Barton’s Point Coastal Park in Sheerness has many levees.
MORE TO COME…