Grass fire in Gunnersbury Park

Grass fire in Gunnersbury Park; Photograph Tom Arnautovic

Three fire engines called to grass fire in Gunnersbury Park

Firefighters put out a fire in Gunnersbury Park on Tuesday (21 July).

London Fire Brigade sent several fire appliances to tackle the grass fire at the north western end of the park.

Ealing Council and the Fire Brigade put out a joint warning last week to people not to have barbecues in public parks, following a grass fire in a park in Ealing.

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

The fire in Gunnersbury Park was reported at 12.44pm. The Fire Brigade sent three fire engines and a Terrain Support Vehicles as flames spreading across open ground in near the entrance at the north west corner of the park.

The specialist Terrain Support Vehicles provides off-road capability enabling firefighters to transport additional equipment closer to fires on open ground.

Each vehicle carries ‘approximately 475 litres of water, a backpack blower, ear defenders, beaters and misting lance technology, which allows firefighters to pump water and drive, enabling them to tackle grass fires more quickly and safely’.

The backpack blowers work just like leaf blowers. They allow firefighters to push flames back into already burnt areas.

‘This is a tactic that provides a faster, more efficient attack on wildfires’, says the Fire Brigade.

London Fire Brigade tackling the fire in Gunnersbury Park; Photograph Tom Arnautovic

Six hectares of shrubland catches light in Feltham

Later in the afternoon they were called to another grass fire in the west of the borough of Hounslow.

London Fire Brigade say eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters tackled the fire near Sandy Drive in Feltham. At the height of the fire, around six hectares of shrubland was alight.

One of the Brigade’s Terrain Support Vehicles was sent to the scene to support firefighting operations and wildfire beaters were also used.

‘The beater is made of a long handle with a flat piece of rubber at the end. They’re used to beat the flames, which deprives them of oxygen and cools them down’.

The Fire Brigade used drones to provide the Incident Commander with oversight of the fire.

Control Officers took the first of 17 calls at 5.04pm and mobilised crews from Heathrow, Feltham, Northolt and surrounding fire stations to the scene. The fire was under control by 6.50pm

London Fire Brigade tackling the fire in Gunnersbury Park; Screen grab from video