Firefighters tackling 'twice as many grass fires'
Firefighters in London have dealt with twice as many grass fires compared with last year as the heatwave across the UK continues.
There have been 1,010 incidents so far this summer compared with 535 from May 1 to July 15 last year and more are feared, the London Fire Brigade said.
Dave Brown, London Fire Brigade's head of operations, said: "A small spark from a cigarette is often all it takes to start a grass fire in these dry conditions. It really is important that smokers dispose of their cigarettes properly.
"Drivers also need to take care not to throw cigarettes out of car windows as they can easily burn grass verges.
"If you see a grass fire, don't attempt to put it out yourself as grass fires can be fast-moving and change direction without warning. Call the fire brigade and let us know where the fire is."