Dry spell sees sharp rise in London wildfire calls
LFBThe London Fire Brigade (LFB) saw a sharp increase in callouts for grass and wildfires last weekend, including some believed to have been started deliberately.
Between Friday and Monday, the brigade received a total of 2,215 calls - 713 more than the same period last year.
These included 65 outdoor fires - in woodland, parks and gardens as well as involving shrubbery, trees and logs - which was an increase from 15 in the same period in 2024.
The most serious of these was a grass fire in Bostall Woods in Plumstead, south-east London, on Friday afternoon, which required around 25 firefighters to bring under control, an LFB spokesperson said.
Provisional statistics from the Met Office indicate London recorded 4.8mm of rainfall across March - just 12% of its long-term meteorological average.
The LFB has urged people to "act responsibly" as the spell of dry weather continues into the weekend.
Thomas Goodall, an LFB assistant commissioner, said the risk of wildfires in London currently is heightened and this risk increases with every day that passes without rainfall and stressed "it doesn't need to be hot for fires to occur outdoors".
He said "a minority" of the fires recently attended 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."
Mr Goodall also urged parents to ensure that their children understand the fire risks to help protect open spaces.
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