Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters and officers were called to a grass fire on Tottenham Marshes in Lee Valley Park this evening.

At the height of the fire around three hectares of scrubland near Marigold Road was alight. Crews used grass beaters and water backpacks to fight the blaze and crew members remained at the scene throughout the evening damping down any hot spots to prevent the fire from rekindling.

Station Manager Gary Thompson who was at the scene said: “The fire covered an area the size of around three football pitches and crews worked hard to bring it quickly under control. Grass fires cause a great deal of damage to open spaces, property and wildlife but the public can help us stop them from starting by making sure that their cigarettes and barbecues are extinguished properly and that glass bottles, which can concentrate the sun’s rays onto dry grass, are disposed of carefully.

“It’s also important that if you do notice a fire on open grassland that you don’t attempt to put it out yourself as they can travel very quickly and change direction without warning. Call the fire brigade and let us know where the fire is so we can get our crews on the scene as soon as possible to stop it from spreading any further.”

The Brigade was called at 1953 and the fire was under control by 2158. Crews from Tottenham, Walthamstow, Hornsey, Edmonton and Stoke Newington fire stations attended the scene.