Dagenham wildfire and two other grass fires under investigation

BBC News

15-07-2025

More than two hundred firefighters tackled three separate grass fires in east London on Monday evening.Some residents in Dagenham were asked to temporarily leave their homes after eight hectares (20 acres) of grass, shrubland and trees, fences and garden furniture caught alight near Beam Parklands.Wildfire beaters were later used to tackle flames that destroyed an area of grassland near Wingletye Lane, Hornchurch, while firefighters brought a third fire under control at Walthamstow Marshes.The flames have been put out and the causes of the fires are under investigation, as London Fire Brigade (LFB) warns it could be a "challenging summer" due to warm and dry weather conditions.
About 125 firefighters tackled the largest incident in Dagenham, which came close to reaching neighbouring houses.Station commander Matt Hayward said: "Firefighters worked extremely hard to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby properties."The fire had reached some garden fences, sheds and garden furniture. Jets and wildfire beaters were used to stop flames reaching the properties, Mr Hayward said.LFB added that fire breaks installed by the local authority had been important in preventing the fire spreading to residential areas.The brigade said that while three such fires in one evening had been "a lot" for firefighters, it was not unheard of and that crews were preparing for more incidents like these."All of our firefighters have been undergoing enhanced wildfire response training in preparation for what could be another challenging summer," LFB said.It has urged Londoners to act "responsibly" to prevent further incidents. "As the weather has been so dry, it only takes a few sparks to lead to a fire spreading rapidly," an LFB spokesperson said.In London, this is can be dangerous because so many of our green spaces lie close to homes and other properties."In particular, people are being reminded not to use disposable barbecues in parks of fields or to use them on wooden decking in private areas.