Ealing Council and London Fire Brigade issue safety warning after fire in a park

Library image: London Fire Brigade image of firefighters damping down a fire in grassland in a London park in a previous year

Risk of wildfires across London is currently ‘severe’ because of the ongoing heatwave

Ealing Council and the London Fire Brigade are urging the public to help prevent fires in parks and spaces after a fire at Horsenden Hill at the weekend.

Six fire engines went to Horsenden Hill in Perivale on Saturday afternoon (11 July) to deal with the fire. They also used a drone and off-road support vehicle.

This comes as London Fire Brigade has said the risk of wildfire across London is currently ‘severe’ because the ongoing heatwave and dry weather have meant that fire is much more likely to spread quickly.

Visitors to parks and green spaces are reminded that disposable barbecues are banned and the council’s park rangers and Park Guard team will stop people from using them.

The Council and the Fire Brigade have published this guidance on preventing fires like these:

• Do not use barbecues in the parks or open spaces
• Do not leave glass bottles behind as they can magnify the sun and start fires
• If bins are full, please take your rubbish home
• Throw cigarettes away responsibly or take a portable ashtray with you.

Anyone who sees a fire should make sure they are in a safe place away from the fire and vegetation and call 999 immediately.

Library image: London Fire Brigade tackle a fire which started as a grass fire and spread to property

Ealing Council’s parks rangers team is carrying out extra patrols at higher risk areas and the longer grass is being cut earlier than scheduled. Teams have also created fire breaks – areas where grass and vegetation have been cut back to create a barrier that helps slow or stop the spread of fire.

Councillor Lauren Wall, cabinet member for thriving communities said:

“Given the prolonged hot and dry weather, wildfires can start and spread rapidly and I’d like to thank London Fire Brigade for responding quickly on Saturday.

“While council teams are taking action to reduce the risk, residents can also help by following fire safety advice – especially around not using barbecues in our parks and open spaces or leaving bottles around.”

For London Fire Brigade adds that embers from a fire can travel a long distance, carried by wind, and stress the importance of removing any combustible materials from your garden to reduce this risk.

They have a video on their website showing how quickly a house can catch alight.

London Fire Brigade information on preventing wildfires