Fire services in the South East are urging residents not to report neighbours for using barbecues unless there is an emergency or a fire producing significant smoke. Surrey Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) has seen a high volume of calls regarding barbecues, bonfires, and campfires in gardens.
East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) group commander Simon Neill described an "unprecedented" level of calls reporting wildfires. In July, ESFRS responded to 12 wildfires and an additional 300 fires involving crops, trees, and forests in the county.
Mr Neill warned that fires in gardens remain a risk, noting that small fires can spread quickly due to dried-out surroundings. ESFRS has added two new off-road vehicles with enhanced water capability to its fleet.
Meanwhile, the Bluebell Railway, which operates between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead, has cancelled its steam engine travel until September due to the risk of sparks causing wildfires. Ruth Rowatt of Bluebell Railway stated that lineside fires are common, but the current drought has made the risk extreme.
Kent & East Sussex Railway has also cancelled its steam engine services, operating with heritage diesel locomotives instead. Kent Fire & Rescue Service has attended two wildfires and two field fires since Friday, with one wildfire near Maidstone believed to have been started deliberately.