The Fire and Rescue Service were called out to a fire in Chase Woods in Ross-on-Wye yesterday evening.

At around 8.30pm on Wednesday, July 4th, a dog walker noticed three young people running away from a small fire and reported it to the authorities. The dog walker managed to successfully stamp out the fire and also gave descriptions of the youngsters to West Mercia Police.

After dampening the area, the Fire and Rescue Service found paper nearby which had been used to start the fire.

The recent severely dry conditions also caused massive damage to five acres of grassland on the Malvern Hills on Monday, July 2nd. The Fire and Rescue Service confirmed this was due to a discarded disposable barbecue.

West Mercia Police warn that fires can cause enormous damage to the environment and human life, and every year in the UK around 1,700 farm buildings and 66,000 acres of grassland are destroyed by fire. To prevent wildfires on grassland and standing crops, they said:

• Do not allow the lighting of open fires or barbecues.

• Ensure cigarettes etc are extinguished carefully.

• Only allow camping and picnicking in selected areas.

• Provide litter bins for bottles and other rubbish - and empty them regularly.

• Ensure parents supervise their children.

• Regularly check and maintain open water supplies for fire-fighting.

• Ensure 'fire danger' warning signs are in place.

If a fire breaks out, call 999 without delay, and only attempt to fight the fire if it is safe to do so.