Top tips to stay safe from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Many fires are preventable, and everyone can do small things this summer to help stop serious incidents like wildfires or tent fires. Follow these tips for a #SafeSummer in the countryside:

• Extinguish cigarettes and other smoking materials thoroughly, and dispose of properly in an ash tray or cigarette bin.

• Never throw cigarette ends out of car windows. It's not just littering, it could start a fire on a grass verge.

• Do not light barbeques or open fires on or near areas of open grass or woodland. Don't light barbeques or fires inside or close to tents and other camping equipment.

• Keep young children and ball games away from barbecues. They could get hurt if the barbecue or camping stove falls, and it could ignite any surrounding foliage.

• Make sure that your barbecue is fully extinguished and cold before disposing of the contents. Make sure your camping stove has the gas switched off and is cool before you pack it away.

• Do not leave bottles or glass in woodlands. Sunlight shining through glass can start large fires. Put glass in a bin or take it home to recycle it.

Sally Waldron, Head of Prevention and Protection for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said, "We don't want to spoil the fun, but it is important to stay safe and help to prevent fires from getting out of control. Dry grass or an overhanging branch is all it takes to cause a major fire, and last weekend alone we went out to 29 fires in the open, so we are asking everyone to be safe and sensible."

A crew from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service are currently supporting the operations in Lancashire and Greater Manchester who are battling devastating wildfires near Bolton. GFRS have provided a specialist four by four appliance and crew to help fight the fire, and a specialist logistical team to support the co-ordination of equipment and people.

If you see a fire in the countryside or woodland, you should only try to extinguish it if it can be done with a single bucket of water. In all instances, we would ask people to call 999 and give as exact a location for the incident as possible, preferably a six figure map reference.

For fire safety advice, please visit www.glosfire.gov.uk