Hammersmith and Fulham Fire Crews Help Tackle Putney Heath Fire

---

New safety measures now in place on Wimbledon and Putney Commons

Fire on Putney Heath on Good Friday

Fire crews from Fulham and Hammersmith joined firefighters from Wandsworth, Tooting and Battersea to fight a fire which broke out on Putney Heath on Good Friday.

Altogether, six fire engines and around 40 firefighters fought the blaze on Windmill Road.

London Fire Brigade says approximately two hectares of grassland and low-lying scrubland was alight. There were no reports of any injuries.

The Brigade was called at 5.15pm and the fire was under control by 6.52pm.

Following the fire, extra safety measures have been employed on Wimbledon and Putney Commons, with benches taped off and walkers reminded to keep dogs on leads to ensure two metre distance between their owners.

On their facebook page the Conservators thanked London Fire Brigade for their rapid response and said: "Whilst we are not going to speculate about the cause of the fire, it is a timely reminder to all our visitors to be aware of fire hazards and to remember that no BBQs or other forms of fire are permitted on the Commons.

"Please take your rubbish home or put it in a bin (glass and litter can be fire hazards) and if you smoke whilst on the Commons, make sure your cigarette is properly extinguished - ideally pick it up and take it home with you."

On their website, the Conservators have updated advice to visitor, as follows.

Our advice is straightforward:

Unless absolutely essential STAY AT HOME
Take one hour of exercise each day - alone or with your household - then go home
Keep 2 metres (6’6”) apart from other visitors
No group gatherings
RUNNERS AND CYCLISTS - KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM OTHER USERS
Exercise does not include sunbathing, having a picnic or playing ball games – our Keepers and the Police will move you on

Please keep your dogs on a lead at all times – Government guidance states that dogs in areas used by other people should be on leads to ensure the two metre distancing requirements are met. Given the persistently high numbers of visitors to Wimbledon and Putney Commons, all areas are now being used by other people, even those areas that are normally quiet. Therefore we ask that all dogs are kept on leads everywhere on the Commons. This policy is also in line with the policy in other open spaces in the area, including local authority open spaces. As such, if we were not to implement this policy, we would experience a substantial increase in visitor numbers by being the only open space in which dogs would be allowed off leads.
Pick up after your dogs
Utilise the fairways on foot only but keep off the greens and tees on the golf course
Pick up your rubbish up and put it in a bin or take it home, particularly your used tissues – our staff have to pick these up and you are exposing them to further risk.
Our Byelaws are still in place – do not cycle where you shouldn’t, keep dogs out of the ponds and the Skylark Zone on The Plain.
Cycling is permitted on designated paths. However, these can be extremely busy and, in order to maintain social distancing, we recommend leaving your bikes at home and exercising on foot.
Do not shout at or threaten our staff. They are doing their job and continuing to work to ensure the Commons remain safe and clean for YOU. Abuse will not be tolerated and threats will be reported to the police.
Please remember that there are currently no public toilet facilities (other than disabled) available on the Commons.
Be kind. Be considerate. We are all in this together.

Meanwhile firefighters offer these top tips on grass fires:

If you see a grass fire, don't attempt to put it out yourself as grass fires can travel very quickly and change direction without warning. Call the fire Brigade and let us know where the fire is.

Causes
• The most common causes of grass fires are discarded cigarettes, which if thrown from a car window can ignite dry grass verges
• Another common way that these fires start is from glass bottles which can concentrate the suns rays onto dry grass and shrubbery

Precautions
• Never leave camp fires or barbeques 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
• Explain to children the dangers of playing with and lighting fires

 

April 16, 2020