People urged not to report neighbours' barbecue use

Residents in the South East have been urged not to report their neighbours for using barbecues unless there is an emergency.

Surrey Fire & Rescue Service (SFRS) has urged the public to only call 999 in an emergency following a high volume of calls regarding neighbours with barbecues, bonfires and campfires in their gardens.

Firefighters in East Sussex have also seen an increase in requests for assistance from other services to help deal with "complex and long-running incidents", the service said.

Meanwhile, the Bluebell Railway - which operates between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead - has cancelled its steam engine travel due to the risk of sparks causing wildfires.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (ESFRS) group commander Simon Neill said it had received an "unprecedented" level of calls reporting wildfires.

In the month of July, it responded to 12 wildfires in the county and an additional 300 fires involving crops, trees and forests.

"That is a huge response to a service of this size," Neill said.

He added: "A small fire can quickly grow to be a large fire, or even a wildfire.

"The key message is simple – preventing fires from starting in the first place is the best protection for our communities, our countryside, our wildlife and our emergency services."

Members of the public in Surrey and East Sussex have been urged not to call 999 to report their neighbours for using barbecues unless there is an emergency or a fire producing significant smoke.

"We understand residents may be concerned, but we are unable to respond to reports of neighbours having BBQs, bonfires or campfires in their gardens unless there is an emergency," a SFRS spokesperson said.

But Neill warned that fires in residents' gardens remained a risk.

He said they "typically have always had fires in gardens" with fences catching fire "because the barbecue is too close".

"But because everything around us is dried out, the impact of that small fire spreads so quickly," he added. "Quicker than people would think."

Two new off-road vehicles with enhanced water capability have been added to the ESFRS fleet as a result.

Ruth Rowatt, of Bluebell Railway, said its steam trains would not be in use until September due to the drought and risk of lineside fires.

"We need to protect the beautiful Sussex countryside that lines 11 miles (17.9km) of our track, protect our neighbours and protect our staff and volunteers," she said.

"Lineside fires are very common and part of running a steam railway. However, this drought has taken temperatures to extreme levels, and the lines are so dry that any small spark is going to cause a much bigger problem."

Rowatt said the railway had seen a "huge drop off" in passengers, which she expected would impact them by about £250,000 over the school holiday period.

Kent & East Sussex Railway has also cancelled its steam engine services, with all train services operated by its heritage diesel locomotives until further notice.

Since Friday, Kent Fire & Rescue Service has attended two wildfires – one of which, in Hampstead Lane in Yalding, near Maidstone, is believed to have been started deliberately – and two field fires.

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