Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
Feltham field fire is thought to have been started deliberately
A FIRE that ravaged a field in Feltham is believed to have been started deliberately.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) revealed that Monday’s (August 8) blaze on Hatton Road, which saw around six hectares of land damaged and sent plumes of smoke across West London, was an act of arson.
One hundred firefighters and 15 fire engines were at the scene from 2.53pm and battled flames and smoke for around four hours until it was brought under control at around 7pm. Around 10 people were evacuated, though thankfully no one was injured.
Station Commander John Owen, who was at the scene, said: “Firefighters worked incredibly hard in hot and dry conditions to bring the fire under control.
“They are expected to remain on scene this evening turning over and damping down remaining small pockets of fire.”
“The fire was producing a large amount of smoke and residents in the local area, particularly around Bedfont Sports Club, were asked to keep their windows and doors closed,” he added. “The smoke has now subsided.
“Around 10 people were evacuated as a precaution and thankfully, there are no reports of any injuries at this time. Good partnership working with local authorities and Heathrow Airport minimised the impact of the smoke on the airport in the early stages of the fire.”
On Tuesday, July 19, the LFB declared a major incident due to the number and frequency of fires, including grass fires, happening in London.
Firefighters have already attended more than 425 grass and open land fires this year.
Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety, Charlie Pugsley, said: “The reduction in deliberate fires is a testament to the hard work of our education and fire safety teams who have a longstanding history of delivering a number of children and youth engagement, intervention and education schemes in order to reduce fire risk and raise awareness of fire safety.
“However, we are still seeing too many fires being started deliberately.
“The last few years has certainly shown us how important our parks and green spaces are, with many of us spending more time than ever outdoors with friends and loved ones, so we need Londoners to help look after them.
“Whilst the dry and sunny spells of weather will be great for families looking to spend time outside over the summer holidays, it also means that the risk of grass fires is going to increase as the ground becomes dryer.
“Talk to your children about how dangerous it is to play with fire, keep matches and lighters out of sight and if you’re worried about a child or young person who has set fires get in touch with our Firesetters Intervention Scheme (FIS). ”
Last year the LFB dealt with 2,236 deliberate fires last year compared to the 33,497 deliberate fires in 2001.
Despite the plummeting numbers, the LFB worry’s that that the number of deliberate grass fires could spike further over the course of the summer, particularly as hot weather leaves the ground tinder dry.
Grass fires can be particularly dangerous because dry grassland can burn and spread very quickly.
If dry grass is smouldering, call 999 immediately so that firefighters can act as fast as possible to prevent flames from spreading.