FIREFIGHTERS attended two small fires in the open last night in Verwood and Bournemouth.

This comes as the fire service said ‘fires outside are a massive concern at the moment.’

At 5.51pm, on August 10 firefighters from Springbourne were called to a small fire in the open in Littledown Drive, Bournemouth. Fortunately they were able to deal with this before it escalated.

At 8.07pm the same evening, fire fighters from Verwood Fire Station extinguished a fire in the centre of a copse in Verwood using 1 hose reel jet. This fire was also put out before it escalated.

Last week Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said fires outside are a massive concern at the moment.

A spokesperson said: “Last month, we attended 339 fires in the open, compared to 120 last July – that’s an increase of 182 per cent. There was also a 30 per cent increase in calls received by Fire Control. Please help us by doing all you can to prevent fires.”

The fire service have released the following safety advice:

  • Don’t have a bonfire at home while the conditions are so dry.
  • Barbecue coals and fire pits stay hot for hours, so douse them with water and don’t dispose of the remnants until you can be absolutely sure they are cold.
  • Don’t have barbecues or campfires on heath or in open spaces.
  • Bring a picnic not a barbeque.
  • Extinguish cigarettes properly, and don’t throw cigarette ends on the ground.
  • If you see a fire in the countryside, get to a safe place and call 999 to report it to the Fire & Rescue Service.

For more information about staying safe outdoors, visit www.dwfire.org.uk/safety-outdoors