Fire prevention push urges picnics not barbecues

The RSPB and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said they hoped the message would help keep people and wildlife safe

Conservationists and firefighters are urging people to pack a picnic instead of having barbecues and campfires in a bid to prevent fires across the countryside.

The RSPB and the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said they hoped the message would help keep people and wildlife safe, as well as protect habitats.

Tony Whitehead, RSPB England communications manager, said there was "a risk people might accidentally start a fire" with barbecues and campfires at RSPB sites and the wider countryside.

He said heather and gorse were particularly at risk.

Mr Whitehead said: "It's warm weather again, we're approaching the summer and things tend to get drier.

"We know in these dry conditions certain places are particularly vulnerable to fires, especially in Devon and some of the RSPB's nature reserves.

"We're reminding visitors no barbecues or campfires are allowed on these reserves and to think very carefully about how they behave in the dry summer months.

"There's a risk that people might accidentally start a fire, especially with things like barbecues."

He added some animals such as reptiles could not escape any blazes.

Firefighters say heather and gorse are particularly at risk

Watch manager Simon Lott, from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, said: "They're [fires] very difficult to manage because they're quite resource-intensive.

"Any fires that happen have a devastating impact on the biodiversity in the area and it takes a long time for those ecosystems to recover from those fires."