Fire safety advice for residents in Redbridge

Tuesday 19 July saw the busiest day for firefighters around the country since World War 2, with at least 41 properties destroyed in London alone.

Although the weather has cooled off slightly, the Met Office stresses that the summer is likely to bring further hot weather and wildfire risk will remain elevated.

Please help the London Fire Brigade by continuing to take extra care, looking out for vulnerable people and preventing fires on open land by following the below advice:

• Make sure rubbish, especially glass, is safely thrown away and cigarettes are always properly disposed of.
• Barbeques are banned in parks across Redbridge, they pose a serious fire risk so please don’t break the ban and risk a fine by using them in our parks.
• Grass will be tinder dry after this hot weather so be ultra-cautious around bonfires and barbecues in gardens.
• Do not barbecue on balconies. It’s easier than you might think for a balcony fire to spread to others, which could not only leave you homeless but displace hundreds of your neighbours too.

Disposable barbecues that are no longer in use can still end up causing a fire as hot coals can smoulder and pose a real fire risk for some time after the flames die down, if you use them in your garden make sure they are put right out and cooled before being safely thrown away.

In addition to fire safety advice, please be careful when trying to cool down in open water. Don’t dive into it as it’s colder than it looks. There is the risk of cold-water shock, which can cause your body to go into shock no matter how fit you are. It causes panic, anxiety, disorientation, and loss of muscular control, which cause you to gasp for air and as a result, inhale water. Rather than struggling, follow the RNLI advice and 'float to live'.

Thank you to everyone across Redbridge who has stayed safe through the heatwave, looked out for our neighbours and protected our parks and wildlife by being fire aware. The vast majority of local people, who were able to, stayed home on Monday to avoid the heat. Footfall at major London stations was around 35% of normal post-pandemic levels, and on Tuesday Network Rail reports, passenger train numbers were around 40% down on the previous week.

Remember to please look out for vulnerable people where possible and keep hydrated.

For more information, please visit the London Fire Brigade website.