Gloucester City Council is urging residents and visitors to take extra care following a number of small fires in parks and open spaces across the city during the recent spell of hot, dry weather.
The warning follows an incident at Abbeymead Contour Park, where a fire broke out and emergency services were called to the scene.
With little significant rainfall in recent weeks, Gloucester's parks, grasslands and open spaces have become exceptionally dry, creating ideal conditions for fires to start and spread rapidly.
Just a single spark from an unattended barbecue, discarded cigarette or broken glass bottle can quickly lead to a serious incident.
Although temperatures are expected to ease over the weekend, the prolonged dry conditions mean the risk of fire remains high across the city.
Even small fires can quickly get out of control, posing a danger to people, property, wildlife and valuable natural habitats. Fires can cause lasting environmental damage and place unnecessary pressure on emergency services.
Gloucester City Council is asking everyone to play their part in helping keep communities and green spaces safe by following these simple precautions:
Do not light open fires or use disposable barbecues in parks, open spaces or the countryside
Ensure cigarettes are fully extinguished and disposed of responsibly in a bin
Take litter home or use the bins provided
Do not leave glass bottles or broken glass behind, as sunlight can be magnified through glass and potentially start a fire
Councillor Sebastian Field, Cabinet Member for Environment at Gloucester City Council, said:Β
Our parks and green spaces are one of Gloucester's greatest assets, but the recent dry weather has left them extremely vulnerable to fire. We are asking everyone to take extra care and follow simple safety advice to help protect local wildlife, our communities and these important open spaces. A moment's carelessness can have serious consequences.
Anyone who spots a fire should move to a safe location and call 999 immediately.
