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Parks and woodlands

Small fires can easily start in parks or woodland areas. Here are some steps you can take to make sure we all keep our outdoor spaces safe, clean and reduce any risk of fire.

health_and_safety

Safety

Litter and accidental fires

Nobody likes litter in our open spaces, but what you may not realise is that certain types of littering can increase the risk of fire. Here are some quick tips

  • items that can reflect sunlight, such as bottles (particularly glass) should be taken with you
  • ensure cigarettes are completely extinguished in proper cigarette bins or if safe disposal isn’t possible, take your cigarette ends with you and dispose of them safely
  • remember littering is against the law and could land you a fine. Littering does include dropping cigarette butts and chewing gum.

In an emergency

Sometimes, even if you follow safety advice, accidents can happen. Here’s what you need to do if it does.

  • before setting fires or lighting barbecues, make sure you know where you are and could easily describe your exact location to an emergency operator. Using your phones’ GPS or an app such as What3Words could help
  • if a fire gets out of control or starts to spread, dial 999 immediately
  • unless a fire can be put out safely with a bucket of water, don’t attempt to extinguish it yourself, always call the fire service.

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