Fire safety warning issued after large grass fire breaks out in Surrey

People have been urged to take steps to prevent fires in the hot weather after a large grass fire was declared a major incident at a beauty spot in Surrey on Sunday.

At least eight hectares of land were affected by the fire at Hankley Common, which has previously been used to film part of the James Bond blockbuster Skyfall.

Images and footage from the scene showed flames and large plumes of smoke billowing across the common.

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was called just after midday on Sunday and said it expected crews to remain at the scene until at least Monday.

The major incident was stood down at around 6.40pm, but people were still asked to avoid the area as the wildfire continued to burn.

The cause of the blaze was unknown, the fire service said, but it pleaded with people to “help us to prevent wildfires” by taking simple steps.

In a tweet, SFRS said: “Speak to young relatives about safety outdoors, pack a picnic instead of a BBQ, dispose of cigarettes and litter correctly.”

The blaze comes after major fire incidents were declared in several counties this week as temperatures climbed over 40C and led to tinder-dry conditions.

In the capital, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it was tackling multiple weather-related blazes and urged people to cancel all planned barbecues.

The fire service said it was dealing with significant incidents in Enfield, Hayes and Thamesmead.

In a tweet on Sunday, LFB said it had attended more incidents between midnight and 5pm than it would in a normal 24 hours.

“Please help us prevent further fires by cancelling all planned BBQs, removing rubbish especially glass from grassland and disposing cigarettes correctly," it continued.