Grass fire - Rainham

Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to a grass fire on Farm Road in Rainham. 

Around three hectares of grass and shrubland were damaged by fire. There were no reports of any injuries. 

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "The Brigade's Control Officers took 10 calls to the fire. If you see a grass fire, call the Brigade straight away and let us know where it is. Never attempt to tackle it yourself as grass fires can travel very quickly and change direction without warning."

Causes

• The most common causes of grass fires are discarded cigarettes, which if thrown from windows can ignite dry grass verges
• Another common way that these fires start is from glass bottles which can concentrate sun rays onto dry grass and shrubbery
• Disposable barbecues that have been discarded and abandoned can also cause grass fires and they continue to retain heat after use

Precautions

• Clear away bottles, glasses and any broken glass to avoid them magnifying the sun and starting a fire
• Dispose of smoking materials, such as cigarettes, safely
• Explain to children the dangers of playing with and lighting fires
• Never leave camp fires or barbecues unattended and extinguish them properly after you have finished using them

The Brigade was called at 1101 and the fire was under control by 1302. Fire crews from Hornchurch, Wennington, Romford, East Ham, Dagenham and Ilford fire stations attended the scene. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation.