Grass fires: how to prevent and manage them

Recent high temperatures and dry conditions left the UK a tinderbox, resulting in the 19th July 2022 becoming the London Fire Brigade’s busiest day since World War Two. In London alone, more than 40 houses and shops were destroyed as grass fires spread. With climate change contributing to a rise in grass fires over recent years, it’s crucial that building and business owners know how to prevent and manage grass fires on their premises. 

Here, we outline what causes grass fires, highlight precautions to take to avoid them starting and finally, explain how to deal with them.

What causes grass fires?

Common causes of grass blazes include carelessly discarded cigarettes or matches as well as rubbish left lying around such as glass bottles, which can start fires by magnifying the sun’s rays. Disposable barbecues are also a serious concern for fire crews as, if they are left unattended or not disposed of safely, they can easily ignite surrounding grass – especially if it’s tinder dry. 

Of course, how dry the grass is depends heavily on the weather and seasonality. Grasses vary in their greenness throughout the year, though most usually green up as the season progresses throughout summer, lowering the likelihood of a fire starting. The least common period for grass fires is winter and the most common is spring, when the conditions are warming up and there’s often a dry, brisk wind. Autumn is another high-risk period as grass dies off and may still be dry from the long drought period of summer.

Who is responsible for fire safety?

According to the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005, it is the legal duty of the ‘responsible person’ of a premises to carry out a fire risk assessment. The responsible person is the employer, building owner, landlord, or anyone else with control of the premises. Once the fire risk assessment is completed and hazards and dangers identified, the correct fire-fighting equipment must be installed.

What precautions should be taken to prevent grass fires?

To reduce the likelihood of litter and in turn, the risk of a fire starting, rubbish bins should be stationed on the premises, along with a dedicated cigarette disposal designed to eliminate the risk of combustion started by hot ashes. Disposable barbecues can also remain hot and be a fire risk after use, so care should be taken when disposing of them. Anyone having a barbecue should keep a bucket of water or sand nearby and make sure it’s placed on level ground so it doesn’t tip over. Disposable barbecues pose such a significant risk that many local authorities have banned their use in parks and public spaces – highlighting the need for vigilance in fire safety around barbecues.

How should a grass fire be managed?

Grass fires fall into the Class A fire category (combustible materials), which can be tackled using either a dry powder fire extinguisher or a foam fire extinguisher. Dry powder fire extinguishers are extremely versatile and can tackle fires in classes A, B and C, smothering them by producing a thick barrier between the fuel and the source of oxygen. Foam fire extinguishers perform a cooling function and quickly smother burning materials, while the foam agent helps prevent the fire from reigniting.

However, simply having a suitable fire extinguisher on the premises isn’t enough – British Standards stipulates that fire safety equipment must also be easily identifiable and immediately accessible. Here, mobile fire safety stands and trolleys help to ensure compliance; providing a convenient means of storage while ensuring fire extinguishers can be easily transported wherever they’re needed.

Unfortunately, even with all the appropriate fire safety equipment on hand, grass fires can spread notoriously quickly. If the worst happens and the fire cannot be contained or extinguished, people will need to follow signage to a designated safe area and the local fire service should be called.

CheckFire can keep you up to date with fire safety advice and legislation. Visit our resource centre and sign up to our newsletter for news and updates affecting the fire trade.