Firefighters battling a blaze on Leyton Flats on August 12
(Picture: PA Wire)London firefighters who have spent weeks tackling grass fires - followed by hundreds of calls to flash flooding on Wednesday - are urging vigilance with more dry weather on the way.
The “incredibly busy” time has led London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) assistant commissioner to issue an appeal, urging people to take care with barbecues and cigarettes.
Firefighters saw a huge spike in call-outs after prolonged dry weather led to drought and tinder-dry conditions.
In the first week of August alone, London crews tackled 340 grass and open land fires - more than eight times as many as the same week last year.
In July, on the UK’s hottest day on record, LFB saw its busiest 24 hours since the Second World War.
But heavy rain this week didn’t improve things for the busy service.
LFB typically takes about 450 calls a day but, on Wednesday, as thunderstorms hit London causing flash flooding, it received 1,290 calls - 40 per cent of which were related to floods.
The intense period of call-outs has sparked a plea from LFB Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne, who said: “It’s been an incredibly busy time for firefighters and control officers who have been working around the clock with our partners to keep Londoners safe, whether that be from the intense grass fires we’ve seen or flooding.
“When the ground is incredibly dry it’s harder for water to be absorbed, which is why we’ve seen flash flooding as the water pools on the surface, but it also means that grasslands are still parched.
“In the coming days we’re expecting more dry weather, so please continue to help us prevent grass fires by not barbecuing on open land, clearing away rubbish and glass and safely disposing of cigarettes.”
