The Department of the Environment, Food and Agriculture has installed a number of warning signs across their upland estate regarding lighting fires and using barbecues on their land, which includes registered heathlands and biodiverse nature reserves.

The recent hot weather has dried out large areas of countryside and means a fire could spread quickly and be difficult to get under control.

Geoffrey Boot MHK, Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, said: ’In the current conditions wildfires can cause havoc and place people, wildlife, habitats, livestock and crops under unnecessary risk.’

The controlled burning of vegetation by land managers is forbidden at this time of year so anyone who sees a fire should call 999.

Over the last 18 months the fire service has attended 37 wildfires including one in Dalby earlier this year that required more than 50 firefighters to put out.

Kevin Groom,chief fire officer, said: ’A small fire such as a barbecue that is incorrectly disposed of can very quickly result in a large developing fire that may destroy our natural landscape and habitat and affect livestock and property.

’We ask people to think about their actions and their consequences, as a developing fire would immediately place a rapid demand on our finite resources.’