Two fires in one day have caused destruction and put wildlife at risk at two of Northumberland's most popular beaches.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning the bin storage area at the car park by Beadnell Bay was destroyed by flames. Local firefighters were called out to battle the blaze just before 2am, working quickly to prevent the flames from spreading.
And later that same day emergency services workers spotted fire spreading through the dunes by North Sunderland beach, Seahouses.
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A spokesperson for Seahouses Community Fire Station said: "At 01:43 [on] Tuesday morning, we were alerted to reports of a bin fire at Beadnell car park. When we arrived we were met with a large fire that had destroyed two large bottle bins and the wooden structure that had just been built.
"Later the same day at 18:27 we were alerted to a fire that had been spotted by one of our crew in the dunes at the end of Broad Road [in] Seahouses. Luckily the fire was contained and extinguished quickly as this could have been a lot worse if it had time to spread, possibly killing the wildfire that nest within."
Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service has frequently warned visitors to the county's beauty spots of the dangers of fires, which can often be started by carelessly discarded cigarette butts or improperly extinguished barbecues. Last month, under a yellow wildfire alert after three blazes were reported in just one week.
Although both of these fires were extinguished, images shared on Facebook by the Seahouses fire station showed a large charred area left in their wake, with firefighters warning the damage could have been even worse.
The spokesperson added: "Both fires could have been accidental but this just shows how important it is to be extremely careful when out and about."
