Highest risk of any wildfires becoming severe in parts of Devon

There have been a number of wildfires in recent days

People are being urged to be vigilant amid warnings any wildfires could become "severe" in the coming days.

Devon and Somerset Fire Service said people should not have countryside barbecues, and should "take extreme care" when putting out cigarettes.

The Met Office Level 5 warning on the Fire Severity Index (FSI) covers much of Dartmoor, along with areas near Ivybridge and Lynton.

The warning is in place for Friday and Saturday.

Temperatures are forecast to remain high, with no rain expected across the South West.

In some cases, authorities can restrict or suspend access to areas most at risk when a Level 5 warning is in place.

Devon County Council and Dartmoor National Park have been asked if they plan to do so.

Dartmoor National Park has taken steps to reduce the risk of wild fires

Earlier this week barbecues and open fires were temporarily banned by Dartmoor National Park.

The fire service said it attended 322 fires in the open in July, up from a five-year average of 272.

Analysis by Emily Wood, BBC Spotlight Weather Presenter

The Met Office's Fire Severity Index is not an assessment of the risk of wildfires occurring, but how severe a fire could become if one were to start.

The FSI Index values are from 1 to 5, with Level 5 being "exceptional fire severity".

The FSI level for an area provides a trigger to put in place fire prevention restrictions on land mapped under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act - so open rights access to land vulnerable to wildfires can be suspended when FSI level 5 is reached, to minimize the risk of a fire occurring.

It is calculated using information such as wind speed, temperature, time of year and rainfall and is based on a similar approach to the Canadian Fire Danger Rating System, which is also used in other parts of the world.

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