Grass fire - Hayes

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a large grass fire on Church Road in Hayes.

At the height of the incident, around six hectares of land was alight.

Station Commander Jon Holt said: "Crews worked incredibly hard in hot conditions for a number of hours to bring this grass fire under control.

"As they made progress in tackling the blaze, smoke travelled over the M4, between junction three and the A347 flyover.

"It also affected a nearby housing estate, so we asked all residents to close their doors and windows.

"Our colleagues from Surrey Fire and Rescue Service assisted us at the scene."

The Brigade's 999 Control Officers took 15 calls to the fire.

The Brigade was called at 1633 (Saturday) and the fire was under control by 0808 (Sunday). Fire crews from Park Royal and Southall fire stations were at the scene, along with colleagues from Surrey Fire and Rescue Service. Relief crews were put in place throughout the night.

Brigade top tips on grass fires:

• Avoid having barbecues in parks, public spaces and balconies.
• 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- don’t drop cigarettes on dry ground and don’t drop them out of car windows, as they may land on dry grass and lead to a fire.
• Disposable barbecues that have been discarded and abandoned can still end up causing a fire as they will continue to retain heat after use – they need to be put right out and cooled before being thrown away.