20 October 2011

Firefighters are urging people who smoke in their vehicles to dispose of their cigarette ends safely following a fire in Winslow this morning.

They believe the most likely cause of the fire, which damaged a hedge and part of a fence panel in Aylesbury Road, was a cigarette end thrown from a vehicle.

A crew from Winslow was called out shortly after 8.30am and put out the fire with a hose reel. Firefighters were at the scene for about 10 minutes.

Chris Bailey, head of Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service’s community safety team, said: “Fires involving vegetation can cause huge damage to property and kill wildlife.

“Grass, trees and hedges are still quite dry at the moment and it doesn’t take much to start a fire.”

His advice is:

• If you smoke in your vehicle, dispose of your cigarette end in its ashtray and make sure it has been extinguished properly.
  
  
• Never drop a cigarette end on to the ground, regardless of whether you are in a vehicle at the time.
  
  
• 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 999 and let us know where the fire is.