Lincolnshire wildfire warning issued as hot, dry weather fuels surge in outdoor blazes
A Lincolnshire wildfire warning has been issued after fire crews reported a surge in outdoor blazes across the county.
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue said it had already tackled 153 incidents in June alone, a figure that comes close to matching the 384 recorded across the whole of summer 2024.
The service is urging residents to take extra care. Disposable barbecues, bonfires, and discarded cigarettes have all been linked to the sudden rise in grass and field fires.
Amanda Matson, head of community fire prevention, stressed the dangers: “Most outdoor fires are caused accidentally, and that’s why it’s so important to avoid taking risks.”
She continued: “Lincolnshire’s suffered from some extremely dry conditions, which has seen a sharp spike in outdoor fires we’ve attended.
Grass almost acts like a tinderbox, any heat source can cause fires that are more likely to get out of control and spread rapidly. These fires don’t start big, but the dry conditions mean they grow into large-scale incidents and often take days to extinguish.”
The scale of the problem is not just local. The Global Wildfire Information System revealed that 29,200 hectares of UK land – equivalent to 292 square kilometres, have already burned this year.
That figure is higher than the total for any single year in over a decade.
With summer temperatures remaining high, fire officers are reminding people that even small sparks can turn into devastating wildfires.
The advice is simple:
- Avoid disposable barbecues in fields, woods, or parks.
- Fully extinguish cigarettes before throwing them away.
- Refrain from lighting bonfires during dry spells.
Officials say staying cautious now could prevent days of firefighting later.
