Bristol residents ‘flouting rules’ despite grass fire risk

People are flouting rules against lighting fires in parks and open spaces while Bristol is at high risk of grassland fires, councillors have said.

At a full council meeting last week, city councillors warned wildfires “were no joke”, but said people were ignoring their advice by lighting fires in places like the Downs and Blaise Castle Estate.

Nikki Rice, community safety manager at Avon Fire and Rescue Service, whose crews tackled a grassland fire in Shirehampton last week, said the risk of uncontrolled fires had grown increasingly due to recent dry and hot weather.

“The grass is very dry and even a small spark could cause devastation,” she added.

In Bristol, there is a bylaw banning barbecues on the Downs, although this is sometimes flouted.

Councillor Stephen Williams accused people of not being in their “right minds” after he said a stone-enclosed campfire was erected, dismantled, and then put up again in the woods at Blaise Castle.