AVON Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) called out to nearly double the amount of outdoor fires.

The period of prolonged dry, hot weather conditions has led to an increase in the number of times the service has been forced to react to a call.

Throughout July, AF&RS were called to 417 outdoor fires, including grass, trees, bushes and rubbish, compared to just 179 during the same period in 2017.

Those statistics indicate more than a 132 per cent increase in fires outside in the area.

Despite recent rain, the local countryside is extremely dry and there is still a risk of fire.

Due to this, AF&RS is asking for people to still be cautious and take care in the countryside and open grass areas.

Rob Davis, Assistant Chief Fire Officer for the service, said: “We want everyone to enjoy the nice weather and feel they can have BBQs but there are certain precautions we would like people to take to minimise the risk of fire.

“With the weather set to reach the high 20s again over the weekend, and remain hot and dry for several weeks, we need people to help us in minimising the number of outdoor fires.

“Basic precautions can make a big difference, such as taking your rubbish with you as glass bottles and cigarette ends can easily start fires.

“We’d also like to encourage people not to have garden bonfires until the hot, dry weather has passed. We attended too many incidents last month where a small garden bonfire spread to the whole garden and caused severe damage."