Fire devastation sparks heatwave barbecue warning

‘Am I in a clear area and can I readily extinguish it should I need to?’

People are being warned not to have barbecues unless they can be certain they have a way of putting out a fire after a blaze sparked by a barbecue caused a huge amount of damage in Devon.

Fire crews from across Devon rushed to the the fire, which started in Littlehempston, near Totness, at around 5pm on Friday.

Firefighters were called from Paignton and Newton Abbot, when a spark from a barbecue set fire to the tinder-dry grass on open ground.

Even while they were on their way, a second call came through saying the fire was spreading rapidly and had engulfed a nearby outbuilding – so crews called on colleagues from Torquay to mobilise and join them in support.

“Upon our arrival, the crews discovered that a barbecue had caught an area of grassland alight with a small outbuilding now also engulfed in flames,” said a spokesperson for Newton Abbot Fire Station.

“The fire was also rapidly spreading towards another building, therefore the Incident Commander instructed several firefighters to tackle the blaze using multiple hose reel jets.

“The crews managed to contain the fire and extinguish the flames effectively and efficiently before significant damage was caused to the second building,” they added.

For the firefighters from South Devon, the blaze was a reminder that in such dry conditions, people should think seriously about having a barbecue at all.

“Although we want people to enjoy the hot weather and maybe a touch of alfresco dining, we would like to remind everyone that in these dry conditions all it takes is a spark to cause devastation,” a Devon and Somerset Fire Service spokesperson said.

“Before starting a barbecue, ask yourself: ‘Am I in a clear area and can I readily extinguish it should I need to?'” they added.