Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service issue warning during heatwave

Some of the incidents Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service have been called out to include a dry grass and cardboard fire in Love Lane, Gainsborough, and four acres of standing barley crop on fire in a field off Foxby Lane, Gainsborough.

Ashley Hildred, group manager at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, said: “With hot and dry conditions in recent weeks, we have seen more fires starting in Lincolnshire, and we’re attending far more fires than usual.

"Fires related to the hot weather have included grassland, field fires, grass verges, woodland, areas of peat, car fires and some that have spread to property.

“Wildfires and fires in the open often require significant numbers of firefighters for protracted periods of time to ensure they are fully extinguished and to prevent spread to nearby property, as well as impact on the highways.

"The increase in fires over recent weeks is having an impact on the availability of crews to attend other incidents, and while the Control room personnel are doing a great in mobilising crews while ensuring strategic cover is in place, a lot of these incidents are avoidable.

"Over recent years in other parts of the country there have been some significant national scale incidents requiring mutual aid that could easily happen in Lincolnshire during the current conditions.

"Some of the causes of significant fires over the last week in Lincolnshire have included bonfires left unattended, carelessly discarded cigarettes, barbeques that have been incorrectly disposed of, sparks from industrial processes and glass objects within vehicles refracting sunlight.

“We’d appeal to the public to help prevent these by being extra careful when they’re outdoors – we don’t recommend any campfires or bonfires in these conditions and certainly not to be left unattended.

"Cigarettes should be completely put out and put in a bin, never left on the ground or thrown from a window. Please also put glass bottles in the bin as strong sunlight can reflect off them and start a fire.”