ENFIELD residents are lucky not to have been seriously hurt following a surge in grass blazes, the London Fire Brigade has warned.

There were 46 grass fires in the borough in the first six months of this year, compared to 37 over the same period last year - a rise of 25 per cent.

Twenty-one of these were in May and June, as temperatures rose.

The Brigade fears worse may be to come after July was recorded as one of the driest on record.

Stuart Low, LFB's borough commander for Enfield, said: “Grass can go up like a tinder box in these dry conditions, which is why we always see a surge in the number of grass fires in the summer.

"This so-called ‘smouldering summer’ will undoubtedly continue unless people take greater care with things like cigarettes and barbecues.”

Southgate Fire Station manager Turan Turan said: “In Enfield we’ve seen a rise in grass fires, especially in the northern, more rural parts of the borough.

"There’s a chance these fires are being started deliberately and although we’ve managed to deal with them quickly, it’s only chance that no one has been seriously hurt.”

The main causes of accidental grass fires are barbecues, cigarettes, discarded matches and glass bottles, which can concentrate the sun’s rays and cause fires.

Firefighters advise that barbecues are never left unattended and are completely put out after being used.

Cigarettes should also be carefully disposed of as they can easily ignite dry grass. Firefighters are particularly concerned about drivers who throw lit cigarettes out of car windows as dry grass verges can easily go up in flames.

The Brigade advises that anyone who sees a grass fire should not attempt to put it out themselves, but call 999 immediately.