Around four hectares of grassland was alight
Firefighters have responded to a huge fire in a grassland in an East London suburb.
Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters responded to the blaze near Acer Avenue in Rainham on the evening of Wednesday, July 29.
Around four hectares of grassland was alight.
The first call regarding the blaze was received at 7.36pm and the fire was under control by 9.56pm.
Crews from New Cross, West Norwood, Romford, Dockhead, Orpington, Sidcup and surrounding fire stations responded to the scene.
“Crews used wildfire beaters at the scene. The beater is made of a long handle with a flat piece of rubber at the end,” the London Fire Brigade said.
Wildfire beaters are used to beat the flames, which deprives them of oxygen and cools them down.
“We encouraged local residents to keep windows and doors closed due to smoke being produced by the fire,” the fire service said.
“Members of the public driving through smoky areas, were advised to keep windows wound up, air vents closed and to switch off air conditioning systems to prevent drawing in outside air.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The London Fire Brigade has given the following advice if you see a wildfire:
- Make sure you’re in a safe place (away from vegetation and smoke)
- Stay calm and call 999 immediately
- If you’re in your car, close all windows and vents
- When you call 999 be as precise as you can about the location, the size and any other information – the free what3words app can help you pinpoint your location, so download it now
- Don’t try to tackle the fire yourself
- Stay well away from wildfires as fire can smoulder or spread underground
Grass fires can be prevented by following these steps:
- Don’t have barbecues (including disposable ones) in parks, public spaces or on balconies – take a picnic instead
- Never leave barbecues unattended and put them out properly after you’ve finished using them
- Take extra care to ensure cigarettes are put right out and disposed of safely
- Glass bottles and other clear materials can start fires if left in direct sunlight – make sure you don’t leave any glass bottles lying around in parks and open spaces and take your litter home with you if nearby bins are full
The blaze in East London comes as wildfires rage across Europe.
About 42,000 hectares of land have been ravaged in south-west France and spread into parts of the Bordeaux metropolitan area.
Three firefighters have died tackling wildfires in Greece as high winds have seen blazes spread across Crete and mainland Greece, while in Spain, around 77,000 hectares have been affected by the fires.
