Thirteen call-outs, seven of them in Fenland and East Cambridgeshire, a handful were arson – and most incidents were fires.

Those were from some of the grim statistics revealed by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue for Wednesday, July 13, and one of the hottest days of the fire.

The first suspected arson was at 3.24am at Wisbech St Mary when fire crews were called to a car fire on Sandbank, Wisbech St Mary.

The crews arrived to find a car on fire very close to a property.

“The cause of the fire was deliberate,” said a fire service spokesperson.

Anyone with information should contact police by visiting www.cambs.police.uk to submit an online report or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Fire crews also believe a caravan blaze was deliberate.

Crews from March were called at 10.36pm to a stubble field fire on Flaggrass Hill Road, March.

“They arrived to find a fire involving a caravan that had spread to a field of standing crops,” said the spokesperson.

“Wearing breathing apparatus, firefighters used hose reels and set up a water shuttle to get the fire under control.

“The cause of the fire is believed to be deliberate.”

At 2.45pm the fire service was called to a roof fire on a building on Dartford Road, March.

Firefighters from Stanground, Wisbech, March and Chatteris responded. The turntable ladder from Cambridge also attended.

Crews arrived to find smoke issuing from the building.

The building was reinspected for hotspots later in the evening.

The cause of the fire was accidental.

At 4.06pm, a crew from Wisbech was called to a fire in the open on Meadowgate Lane, Wisbech.

Firefighters used a hose reel to extinguish a large manure heap that was well alight.

The crew returned to their station by 5.20pm.

At 4.20pm, crews were called to a lorry fire on Eastwood End, Wimblington.

Crews from Whittlesey, Wisbech, March, Chatteris, Huntingdon and the water carrier from Ramsey, responded.

Firefighters arrived to find a lorry on fire in a workshop.

Wearing breathing apparatus, firefighters used hose reels to extinguish the fire. The area was reinspected later in the evening.

The cause of the fire was accidental.

Ely Standard: Cambs Fire and Rescue safety tipsCambs Fire and Rescue safety tips (Image: Cambs Fire and Rescue)

At 6.09pm, crews from Soham, Burwell and the incident command unit from Huntingdon, along with crews from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, were called to a field fire on East Fen Road, Isleham.

They arrived to find a fire involving a baler, around 20 acres of stubble, and a large hedgerow.

“A farmer assisted with removing bales from the area,” said the spokesperson.

“Firefighters used hose reels, beaters and chromes to get the fire under control and prevent further spread to neighbouring fields.

“Farmers also assisted with using farm machinery and a bowser for water.”

The cause of the fire was accidental.

Crews returned to their stations by 12.10am.

At 4.47pm, two crews from Ely were called to a fire in the open on Wilde Street, Beck Row.

Crews arrived to find a large quantity of rubbish on fire next to standing crops.

Firefighters extinguished the fire, before returning to their stations by 9.15pm.

The cause of the fire was accidental.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) said it would like to remind residents and businesses to keep fire safe during the heatwave.

Having already seen thermometers reach 30 plus degrees over the weekend, crews were called to several large fires requiring multiple fire engines to attend.

Ely Standard: Training exercise involving students at ChatterisTraining exercise involving students at Chatteris (Image: Cambs Fire and Rescue)

Head of Fire Prevention for CFRS, Group Commander Rob Olivier, said: “As many people enjoyed the sunshine this weekend, many of our firefighters were called on to assist with large fires involving open, agricultural land.

“These fires bring particular challenges for us as they spread quickly over vast areas, so not only do they have a significant area to cover, but the water supply is often limited, which is why we need several fire engines to attend for long periods of time.

“On Sunday for example, crews attended three incidents involving large fires in the open, requiring more than 20 fire engines and specialist appliances (including crews from over borders), totalling more than 100 firefighters for around seven hours."