With the weekend set to be a scorcher, the fire service is reminding residents to be aware of grass fire risks.

The service has provided advice on how to prevent grass fires from starting as they can get out of hand quickly, cause ’extensive damage and put lives at risk’.

Prevention tips include:

â?¢ Don’t drop cigarettes or anything that is burning on dry ground;

â?¢ Don’t drop cigarettes out of car windows, they may land on dry grass by the roadside;

â?¢ Only use barbecues in suitable and safe areas, never leave them unattended and have a bucket of water or sand nearby for emergency use;

â?¢ Make sure you dispose of any barbecues correctly, they should be fully extinguished and cold before disposing of the contents;

â?¢ Keep young children and ball games away from barbecues;

â?¢ Only use barbecues in suitable and safe areas and never leave them unattended;

â?¢ Sunlight shining through glass can start large fires, take glass bottles/jars home or put them in a waste or recycling bin.

A spokesman said: ’If a fire breaks out, please call us immediately. It can be hard to give the location for an open area so mention any landmarks, such as a public house or a church that are nearby.’

Grass and crop fire can change direction without warning. Residents should not attempt to the fire out themselves, unless it is a very small fire.

’Grass fires spread very fast so if you see dry grass smouldering, please call 999 and report it immediately so that we can deal with it and stop it from spreading,’ they said.