Second grass fire prevented from spreading on Wanstead Flats

Swift action by firefighters prevented a second grass fire from spreading on Wanstead Flats today. Firefighters used hoses and fire beaters to quickly surround the fire which was located by Lakehouse Road on Wanstead Flats, around 250 metres from Sunday’s devastating blaze. 

Station Manager Rod Wainwright said: 

“We had to move very quickly to contain this fire as it had the potential to spread quite a distance.  While the fire was very close to the site of Sunday’s fire, this was a separate blaze which just show susceptible the dry ground is to grass fires. I can’t stress how important it is for people to be very careful when they dispose of cigarettes and glass bottles." 

Around 400 square metres of vegetation was alight and four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from Stratford, Plaistow, Leyton, and Homerton fire stations attended the scene. 

Brigade top tips on Grass fires:

Causes

The most common causes of grass fires are discarded cigarettes, which if thrown from a car window can ignite dry grass verges

Another common way that these fires start is from glass bottles which can concentrate the sun’s rays onto dry grass and shrubbery

Precautions

• Never leave camp fires or barbeques unattended and extinguish them properly after you have finished using them
• Clear away bottles, glasses and any broken glass to avoid them magnifying the sun and starting a fire
• Dispose of smoking materials such as cigarettes safely
• Explain to children the dangers of playing with and lighting fires

The Brigade was called at 1436 and the fire was under control by 1532.