Avoidable dangers: one wildfire in south London last weekend needed 25 firefighters to get it under control and extinguished, as the London Fire Brigade recorded a 48% increase in grass fire call-outs compared to the same period in 2024
As the weather warms up and the dry spell continues, the London Fire Brigade is becoming concerned at the increasing risk of grass fires and wildfires in the city’s parks and open spaces.
The LFB has issued a warning after a 48% increase in call-outs last weekend compared to the same weekend last year.
Between Friday and Monday, April 4 to 7, the London Fire Brigade received 2,215 calls. This included around 65 outdoor fires attended by firefighters, including in woodland, parks and gardens, as well as involving shrubbery, trees and logs. The most significant of these incidents was a grass fire in Bostall Woods in Plumstead last Friday, which required 25 firefighters to extinguish.
Provisional stats from the Met Office show that Greater London recorded 4.8mm of rainfall in March, just 12% of the average for this time of year.
“The risk of wildfires in London currently is heightened and this risk increases with every day that passes without rainfall,” said Thomas Goodall, the LFB’s assistant commissioner.
“The rise in calls that we have seen in London, plus events around the country, demonstrate that it doesn’t need to be hot for fires to occur outdoors.
“A minority of the fires we’ve attended recently are believed to have been started deliberately. What might seem like harmless fun has the ability to turn into something much more serious, particularly given current weather conditions.
“We know that people will undoubtedly want to be out enjoying the sunshine, particularly as we head into the weekend. But we’re asking Londoners to behave responsibly to help reduce the risk of fires starting in the first place.
Special response: the LFB is deploying these special wildfire response vehicles that are capable of getting equipment closer to blazes on open land
“Over the Easter holidays, parents should ensure that their children understand the fire risks to help protect our open spaces, we also urge Londoners to take steps to ensure they are not inadvertently starting a fire. They can do this by not using barbecues in open spaces or on balconies, including disposable ones, and to dispose of cigarettes carefully.
“We’re also working closely with partners, such as local authorities, to help manage the risks in outdoor spaces and ensure the public are following the safety advice.”
This week, the Brigade is deploying two of its four wildfire response vehicles, in a continuation of a pilot that began last summer.
One of the vehicles will be based at Biggin Hill Fire Station.
These vehicles provide off-road capability enabling the transportation of additional equipment closer to fires on open ground. Each vehicle will carry approximately 500 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.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
PAID ADS: To advertise your services or products to our 10,000 weekday visitors to the site, as featured on Google News Showcase, email us inside.croydon@btinternet.com for our unbeatable ad rates
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
As featured on Google News Showcase
- Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content. Our comments policy can be read by clicking here
Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network
