Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters attended a grass fire on Wigley Road in Feltham.
Around four hectares of grassland was alight. Firefighters deployed a wildfire response vehicle to help extinguish the fire. The wildfire response vehicles are light, agile and its off-road capabilities mean it can reach places that our standard fire engines cannot. The vehicle is equipped with misting lance technology, which significantly enhances the way in which firefighters extinguish these fires.
Crews also used backpack blowers, which just like leaf blowers. They allow firefighters to push flames back into already burnt areas. This is a tactic that provides a faster, more efficient attack on wildfires. Wildfire beaters were also used. The beater is made of a long handle with a flat piece of rubber at the end. They’re used to beat the flames, which deprives them of oxygen and cools them down.
Feltham Station Commander Nathan Beeby, who was at the scene, said: "Firefighters worked professionally to contain this fire and prevent it from spreading into another field and towards properties, which is one of the unique challenges we face in London, where often open spaces lie close to homes and livelihoods..
"Firefighters developed a tactical plan to get ahead of the fire and create a break by wetting the ground to minimise its spread. The wildfire vehicle assisted in extinguishing the fire and helping to damp out hotspots around the perimeter of the field."
With the Met Office warning of a hotter summer than usual, the Brigade is continuing its call to action to local authorities and landowners to create fire breaks to help protect communities from wildfires. This can include cutting and removing grass or ploughing earth to remove any flammable vegetation. The purpose of a fire break is to create a barrier that prevents the easy spread of fire by reducing or eliminating the fuel available, such as long dry grass, for the fire to consume.
The Brigade's Control Officers took around 18 calls about this fire, with the first call received at 1650. Crews from Feltham, Twickenham and Heston fire stations attended the scene. The fire was largely extinguished by 1937.
The cause of the fire is undetermined.