Grass fire – Wembley

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were called to a grass fire on Norton Road in Wembley.

Around 50 metres of grass and bushes on the hillside of a railway were damaged by fire. The power was isolated and there was some disruption to London Underground services as crews worked to make the scene safe. There were no reports of any injuries.

Firefighters’ top tips on grass fires:

If you see a grass fire, don't attempt to put it out yourself as grass fires can travel very quickly and change direction without warning. Call the fire Brigade and let us know where the fire is.

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

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 1448 and the fire was under control by 1650. Fire crews from Wembley, Park Royal and Northolt fire stations attended the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.