100 firefighters called out to battle grass blaze on common

More than 100 firefighters tackled a massive grass fire in Greenwich.

The blaze swept through Woolwich Common on Monday, July 23, scorching an area the size of four football pitches.

Chief firefighter Clinton Walsh said of the Woolwich Common blaze: “At the height of the fire, large plumes of smoke were drifting across the area near to hospital grounds and local roads.

“Firefighters worked extremely quickly in very difficult conditions on one of the hottest days of the year.

“London is tinder dry at the moment and a stray cigarette or even a glass bottle is enough to set a fire like this one. I can’t stress how important it is for smokers to really ensure cigarette butts and matches are out properly and never leave barbecues unattended.”

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called at 3.51pm to Woolwich Common. The blaze raged for more than four hours, but was brought under control by 8:06pm.

Fire crews from East Greenwich and surrounding stations were at the scene and stayed on for a number of hours damping down.

The LFB have provided four tips for preventing grass fires:

* Never leave camp fires or barbecues unattended and extinguish them properly after you have finished using them.

* Clear away bottles, glasses and any broken glass to avoid them magnifying the sun and starting a fire.

* Dispose of smoking materials such as cigarettes safely. l Explain to children the dangers of playing with and lighting fires.