Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service (BFRS) is urging local people to help protect green spaces across the borough as hot, dry conditions continue.
The call follows a deliberate grass fire measuring 100m by 50m that swept through Jubilee Park on Sunday afternoon (9 August).
Firefighters from Bedford responded to the park just after 3pm, using a hose reel, backpack sprayers, and a thermal imaging camera to extinguish the flames and tackle hotspots.
The blaze damaged half of the football pitches in the park, with the fire service confirming the incident was started deliberately.
Read: Bedford fire crew tackles deliberate grass fire in Jubilee Park
Command warning
Group commander Matt Hyland said: “In these conditions, one moment is all it takes for a fire to start and spread rapidly.
“We are asking every resident to help protect Bedfordshire by taking simple precautions, think twice before lighting a fire, dispose of cigarettes safely, avoid disposable barbecues in open spaces and call 999 immediately if you see a fire developing.
“Preventing fires is always easier, safer and less damaging than responding once they have taken hold.”
Prevention guidance
Read: Bedfordians urged to take care this summer as fire service warns of ‘very high risk’ of wildfires
Fire officials are advising Bedfordians to avoid bonfires, garden fires, fireworks, and paper lanterns during dry spells.
Local people should use household waste and recycling centres, kerbside collections, or composting to dispose of garden waste rather than burning it.
When using barbecues at home, the service advises placing them on a flat, stable surface away from fences, trees, and dry grass, while keeping water or sand nearby.
Disposable barbecues should be avoided in parks and open countryside, while glass bottles and litter must be binned or taken home to prevent sunlight magnification.
Keeping outdoor spaces clear also helps reduce the fuel available if a fire does start.
Never throw cigarette ends from car windows, onto grass verges or into vegetation. In dry conditions, a single glowing cigarette end can start a fire that spreads across fields, roadside verges or public open spaces.
Parents and guardians are also encouraged to speak with younger adults and children about fire safety.
While young people may show curiosity about fire, experimenting with matches, lighters, aerosols or outdoor flames can put them and others at serious risk.
Speak openly with children and teenagers about fire safety, keep lighters and matches out of reach, and seek support if a young person is repeatedly setting fires or showing a strong interest in fire.
BFRS says that early conversations and advice can help prevent harm and keep young people, families and communities safe.
Wildfires worldwide
The local safety drive comes as emergency services tackle significant outdoor blazes across the UK.
In Hampshire, firefighters are continuing to battle a wildfire in the New Forest that has affected an area equivalent to 230 football pitches amid 30C heat.
Meanwhile, crews in Devon and Cornwall have tackled multiple grass fires, including blazes in Mawgan Porth, Newquay, and Mincinglake Valley Park that forced several people to flee their homes.
International heatwaves have also triggered severe blazes, with wildfires across France, Spain, and Portugal forcing more than 300,000 people to evacuate since mid-July.
In Spain, fires around Madrid burned 606 square miles of land, while blazes in the Gironde region of France burned 162 square miles in less than four days.
Anyone who spots an outdoor fire developing in Bedford Borough should move to a safe place and call 999 immediately.
