Cleveland Fire Brigade has already attended 430 incidents this year – after being called out to more than 2,000 grassfires last year. Over the past five years, crews have been called into action to deal with more than 7,000 grass fires.
A force spokesperson said: “With warmer weather drawing people to beaches, parks, moorland and open spaces, we are asking the public to swap disposable barbecues for safer alternatives such as picnics. Even a small heat source – such as a disposable barbecue – can ignite dry grass and vegetation in seconds, causing fires that spread rapidly and are difficult to control. A single barbecue can have devastating consequences for wildlife, habitats and local communities.”
The appeal followed a major moorland fire in North Yorkshire last year, which burned for 40 days and covered almost 10 square miles (25 square kilometres). Investigations found the fire was most likely caused by someone cooking with a campfire or gas burner, with Cleveland Fire Brigade crews supporting the large-scale response.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of how quickly a small heat source can become a major emergency, particularly during prolonged periods of warm, dry weather.
Richie Brown, Station Manager and Acting Head of Prevention, said: “These incidents are far too common, and many are completely preventable. Disposable barbecues may seem harmless, but they can stay hot for hours and only take seconds to start a fire in dry conditions. By making safer choices, such as leaving barbecues at home, we can help protect people, places and future communities, while keeping our crews available for life-threatening emergencies.”
He urges families to:
- Never use disposable barbecues – pack a picnic instead.
- Take all rubbish home or use a suitable public bin.
- Never leave glass bottles behind, as sunlight can magnify through glass and start fires
- Avoid smoking in the countryside. If smoking, always fully extinguish cigarettes.
- Never throw cigarette ends out of car windows – they can easily start fires and destroy large areas of land.
They should always be prepared by:
- Downloading the what3words app to help identify the exact location in an emergency.
If people see a wildfire:
- They should call 999 immediately – never assume someone else has reported it.
- Provide as much detail as possible, including location, size of the fire and surrounding terrain.
- Move to a safe place and do not attempt to tackle the fire.
Anyone who has any information on who may be behind deliberate fires, should please get in touch via FireStoppers which is 100% anonymous. Alternatively, readers can call them on 0800 169 5558.
