Essex fire bosses issue BBQ warning as dry spell continues

Essex fire fighters joined colleagues from London and Hertfordshire in tackling a field fire on parched land close to the M25 on Tuesday

A fire brigade has warned people to avoid lighting barbecues, chimeneas, fireworks or sky lanterns amid an "unbelievable" amount of call-outs.

Essex Fire Service said it had handled more than 150 calls in 24 hours earlier this week, with the recent dry spell helping to easily spark blazes.

At the weekend, a fire caused by a chimenea forced 40 people to be evacuated from their Chelmsford homes.

"It's extremely busy," said area manager Neil Fenwick.

"It's been absolutely unbelievable - the amount of calls we're receiving, the number of fires we're attending... fires in vegetation, fields, grasslands.

"It's something we've not seen for tens of years.

"Day on day we're seeing calls increase as things dry out and as the sun continues to shine down and heat the land up."

The fire service included chimeneas on its list of burners to try to avoid using during hot, dry periods

A blaze ripped through 15 gardens in Greenwood Close, Chelmsford, on Saturday after a lit chimenea got out of control

Mr Fenwick said while other weather events such as flooding or high winds were often short-lived, the prolonged nature of the dry spell was putting a strain on staff.

On Tuesday, five crews from Essex were sent along with another 12 from London and Hertfordshire to a spreading field fire close to junctions 26-25 of the M25 near Waltham Abbey.

It forced the closure of two lanes of the motorway.

Grassland - already scorched by the sun - was believed to have been set ablaze deliberately on Tuesday in Southend's Garons Park

The same afternoon, firefighters also tackled a blaze - believed to have been started deliberately - on grassland in Southend, while four crews dealt with a field fire near the M11 at Chigwell.

The fire service said it wanted people to act carefully over the next few days with temperatures soaring again.

Mr Fenwick said: "We don't want to stop people enjoying themselves but please do really think about whether it is necessary to have a barbecue or use a chimenea, and definitely think again about setting off fireworks or sky lanterns.

"Even the smallest fire can spread extremely quickly; we saw at the weekend in Chelmsford when a chimenea accidentally caught alight, affecting the gardens of 15 homes and 40 people having to be evacuated from their homes.

"Ask yourself, is it really worth taking that chance?"