Essex fire service warns of wildfire risks this weekend
The advice comes after the Met Office issued an amber wildfire warning for most of the UK
Warnings of wildfire risk have been issued for parts of the UK, including Essex, following a series of blazes in recent days.
The Met Office has issued an amber warning for fire severity across parts of England, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Essex Fire and Rescue service is urging people to think about fire safety this weekend after one of the driest March's on record.
According to the Met Office, it was the sixth driest March since records began in 1836.
Group Manager of Essex Fire and Rescue, Mark Eaglestone, says: “While Essex may not be experiencing the same high temperatures right now as we get in the summer months, wildfires can still occur, especially as with a drier start to spring than usual this year.
“You can play your part in preventing wildfires and protecting our beautiful countryside by disposing of litter properly, if you can’t find a bin, take it home.
He also advises people to avoid having campfires and using disposable BBQs as "it only takes an ember to catch the tinder dry grass and vegetation alight when it's hot and dry."
“If you’re a smoker, make sure to properly stub out cigarettes before discarding them.
“If you’re tempted to cool off in the water, don’t jump or dive straight in as you can quickly experience cold water shock which can be fatal.
Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said the risk is due to "dry weather which has been ongoing for a while now".
"We have got dry, warm weather with some fairly strong winds. High pressure is dominating our weather at the moment, which is caused by the heat that we have been seeing," she said.
"Early in the winter we also had a very wet period which produced a lot of plant growth.
"This exacerbates the risk with fuel for the fire."
London Fire Brigade has also urged people in the capital to take precautions against wildfires, as forecasts project temperatures hotter than Barcelona and Athens this week, peaking at 21C on Friday.
The last time London was hit by wildfires was in the 2022 heatwave, when UK temperatures soared above 40C for the first time.
If you see a wildfire, get to a safe place and then call 999 and ask for the fire service.
The best way to help emergency services find your location is to use the what3words app which you can download here.