A LARGE fire at a beauty spot was probably caused by a disposable barbecue while another major blaze may have been started 'deliberately'. 

Initial conclusions by the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service are that one of the fires on Lickey Hills last week was caused by a disposable barbecue which ignited the extremely dry ground.

It is possible, say fire safety experts, that hot ash was blown some distance away, sparking the second fire.

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Heatwave puts pressure on overstretched firefighters

Dramatic photos of Hartlebury Common fire

Meanwhile, the fire at Hartlebury Common last week may have been either accidental or started deliberately. 

Firefighters in the two counties received 74 callouts between 7am on Friday, July 15 and 7am on Wednesday, July 20 about fires in the open or similar blazes involving standing corn, crops or rubbish.

Fire chiefs locally and nationally have acknowledged that pressure on the service during the heatwave has been 'unprecedented'. 

The mercury climbed to a record 37.1C in Worcester, the hottest day in the city's history, breaking the previous record from August 1990.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said no remains of a barbecue were discovered at the Lickey Hills.

However, obvious scorch marks on the ground were found, consistent with the size and shape of a disposable barbeque.

It had been removed by the owners, probably in an effort to act responsibly, but the ground around it would have remained hot enough to cause the fire after the picnickers had departed.

It has not been possible to form a definitive conclusion about the cause of the fires on Hartlebury Common, which might have been accidental, although it cannot be ruled out that one or both were started deliberately. No actual remains of anything that could cause a fire were found.

Station Commander Richie Young, who conducted the initial investigation into the Lickey Hills fires, said: “Given that we are continuing to deploy to fires in the open on a daily basis, we would remind people to exercise extreme caution and not to use disposable barbecues in the countryside at all, even if they take them away afterwards.

“We’re expecting more hot weather later in the week, and the ground remains tinder dry and extremely combustible, so please avoid having barbecues or campfires, discarding cigarettes or litter, or dropping glassware which can also ignite fires.

“Even if we get the occasional rain shower, don’t assume the ground will be damp and therefore safe. An inch or two below ground it will still be intensely hot.

“We’re grateful to the public for their support on this. Please take care and stay safe.”