Freak moment firefighters tackle tree burning from the inside out

This is the freak moment firefighters tackled a tree burning from the inside out.

The alarm was raised after smoke was seen billowing from an old black ash tree in the tiny hamlet of Marshbrook, near Ludlow, Shrops.

Firefighters dashed to the scene at around 5.25pm on Tuesday (22/10) and were stunned when they saw flames coming from inside the trunk.

Video taken by Church Stretton Fire Station show firefighters hosing water inside a gap in the bark.

Previous incidents of fires burning inside trees have led to wild online theories about them being "portals to the underworld" or "gateways to hell".