A WOODLAND fire in Reading took more than an hour for crews to extinguish yesterday (July 20).

At 8.40am, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) received reports of a blaze in the open on Wokefield Common, near Burghfield.

RBFRS crews from Mortimer and Dee Road were sent to the scene, along with a 4x4 vehicle from Mortimer.

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Crews worked to extinguish the fire in the woods and were at the scene for approximately an hour and 20 minutes.

A spokesman said: "Fortunately, on this occasion, a member of the public reported the fire and the crews arrived quickly, preventing the fire from spreading further.

"This incident provides a timely reminder that if you do spot a fire in the countryside – however small – get yourself to a safe place and call 999 as soon as possible."

A tweet posted by Mortimer Fire Station said that the cause of the fire was believed to be deliberate.

The post from yesterday said: "Mortimer with assistance from @DeeRoadFS and Mortimer’s 4x4 Land Rover attended a fire in the woods in Burghfield this morning.

"This is believed to have been started deliberately.

"The caller used @what3words to give us the exact location which helped a great deal."

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According to the Twitter page, what3words is the simplest way to talk about location - dividing the world into 3m x 3m squares, each with a unique three word address in order to locate specific places.