Firefighters have dealt with double the number of outside fires this year during the long dry summer.

Figures released in Tynwald show that between April and the middle of August 2017 the fire service attended 57 outside fires.

Of these, 15 call-outs were as a result of fires on railway embankments.

But in the same period this year, fire crews attended 100 outside fires, of which, 35 call-outs were the result of lineside fires.

In his written reply to a Tynwald question from Speaker Juan Watterson, Home Affairs Minister Bill Malarkey said the fire service had not only dealt with 43 more such fires this year, but some were significant in size and duration.

Some of the wildfires required resources from five of the seven fire stations to be deployed for a long time.

Mr Malarkey said: ’Promotional awareness is carried out in co-operation with our partners, and has no impact upon the service revenue budget.

’The impact of the any additional costs associated with greater number of call-outs will be assessed and discussed with the department towards the financial year end.’