Fire rages across south London fields as grass blaze scorches 100 acres
LONDON firefighters have been called to a large grass fire in the south of the capital as the blaze scorches 100 acres of land.
London fire as heavy smoke spills into sky over South London
Initially, six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were originally sent out to deal with the blaze.
The fire soon progressed from consuming eight to 40 hectares of land and hedgerow.
Forty hectares equates to around 100 acres.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called to the scene at 11.43am on Tuesday.
"The Brigade's 999 Control Officers have used 999Eye to live stream the fire from a smart phone to screens in the Control Room, allowing for greater visibility of the incident.
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Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters have been called to reports of a grass fire on Chelsfield Lane in #Orpington More information follows pic.twitter.com/jAVE5vGhAB
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) August 2, 2022
"When a 999 call is received by the Brigade, the caller may be asked if they would like to provide a live video stream of the scene using their smartphone."
They added: "The Control Officer will send a text message with a secure, one-time-use link that opens a live stream direct from the phone to the Control Room.
"999Eye provides better situational awareness and allows us to offer the best advice based on live footage.
"The Brigade was called at 1143. Fire crews from Orpington, Sidcup, Bromley, Eltham, Plumstead, Biggin Hill and surrounding fire stations are at the scene."
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After approximately two hours, the LFB succeeded in reducing the fire down to an area of eight hectares.
A spokesperson said: “Firefighters are working hard at the scene of a grass fire in Orpington where around eight hectares of land and hedgerow remains alight.”
The London Ambulance Service did not attend the scene as there were no casualties or injuries reported, according to MyLondon.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police then said there was "nothing to suggest" suspicious causes for the fire.
Grass fires occur after long spells of hot weather, where the ground becomes extremely dry.
They are most commonly triggered by barbecues and cigarettes, the LFB warns.