FIREFIGHTERS were pelted with stones and bricks when they turned up to put out a blaze in woods.

The crew, from Blackburn Fire Station, were attacked by youths after arsonists started a rubbish fire in an area off Fishmoor Drive in the town.

Yesterday, the yobs were blasted as ‘stupid’ by Lanc-ashire Fire and Rescue Service, which said their behaviour was ‘incomprehensible’.

The four firefighters were pelted as soon as they reached the scene of the blaze, at 7.50pm on Tuesday.

However, they still managed to put out the fire, and none of the firefighters was injured.

John Taylor, from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We are the first to say that this incident is not a measure of the usual behaviour of young people in the county.

“However, it is discouraging and stupid when this sort of thing does occur because an injured firefighter is one who will not be able to attend an incident which may affect one of these youths in future.

“Our job is to rescue people from danger, so this sort of behaviour is incomprehensible.”

Mr Taylor said that although attacks on firefighters were ‘regular’ in Lancashire, there were no ‘no-go areas’ in the county.

And he refuted the idea that police escorts might be needed for some incidents.

A Lancashire Police spokeswoman said officers had attended the incident after receiving a request for back-up from firefighters.

However, no arrests were made and the youths were understood to have fled the scene.

In 2008, the Lancashire Telegraph revealed that firefighters in the county were attacked 64 times in just two years.