Wildfire advisory issued ahead of hot weekend in Sussex Brighton News

The East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS) is urging people to ‘respect the countryside and take care when travelling’.

Some of the warnings include not lighting fires in the countryside, properly extinguishing cigarettes and using barbecues in appropriate areas.

Temperatures are expected to reach 26°C this weekend

In March this year, the ESFRS responded to a large fire which damaged six hectares of land at Pippingford Park in Nutley, near East Grinstead.

While in 2019 seven fire engines had to respond to a 400m wildfire in Ashdown Forest.

Forest fires have also damaged Filsham Reedbed Nature Reserve near Hastings in the past.

If a fire does break out, the service urges people to call 999 immediately, not attempt to put out the fire themselves, give a map reference or landmark, wait for the fire truck to arrive or ranger in a safe place near a road or parking lot and give an estimate of the size of the fire if possible.

Wildfire in Ashdown Forest. Photo by Eddie Howland

The full list of ESFRS advice is as follows:

• Open fires should not be lit in the countryside.
• Sunlight shining through glass can start large fires – get some glass. bottles/jars at home or put them in a garbage can or recycling bin.
• Keep young children and ball games away from barbecues and campfires.
• Extinguish cigarettes and other smoking items properly – this means making sure they are completely extinguished.
• Only use barbecues or campfires in appropriate and safe areas and never leave them unattended.
• Make sure your barbecue is completely extinguished and cool before disposing of its contents.
• Only picnic in designated areas.
• Obey the safety signs.
• Never throw cigarette butts out of car windows – they can ruin entire fields of crops, forests or areas of natural beauty.