Grass Fires

During hot weather there is an increased risk of grass fires. Thousands of acres of countryside, open spaces and wildlife habitat are destroyed in this way each year.

By following a few simple rules you can enjoy the hot weather and help stop fires starting:

If fire breaks out, call the Fire Brigade immediately. Sometimes it can be hard to give the location for an open area, so mention any local landmarks such as a pub or a church.

Do not attempt to put out the fire yourself unless it is very small. Grass and crop fires can travel very quickly and change direction without warning. If you can, stay around so that you can direct firefighters to the scene, but only if it is safe to do so.

On days of extreme fire danger grassfires are extremely common.

These days feature:

On hot, windy days moisture will be removed rapidly from grasses around your property and the danger might become critical early in the morning.

Once ignited, grassfires may develop and spread quickly and commonly reach speeds of five to 10 kilometres per hour, even in areas with very little grass.

You may have little time and no warning before a grassfire reaches your property, so it is important to make the decision to either stay and actively defend your home or leave early in the day, before the risk of fire.

When grasses burn they give off energy in the form of radiant heat. You need to protect yourself from the radiant heat from grassfires, as this can be a serious threat to your life. The amount of radiant heat released from a grass fire will vary with how much grass there is to burn. Reduce the amount of grass to reduce the amount of radiant heat.

Fuel reduction is one of the most important preparations you can undertake to protect your property: