Two hectares of grass was destroyed in a fire in Hornchurch at the weekend.
The London Fire Brigade's (LFB) 999 control officers took 17 calls to the fire in Suttons Lane, just before 6pm on Saturday (July 9).
About 25 firefighters using four engines had the blaze under control within two hours.
Luckily no one was injured.
When the ground is extremely dry, grassland and parks will burn quickly when exposed to even the smallest of sparks, and the LFB has already attended more than 1,430 grass fires this year.
The Brigade has warned that anyone looking to fire up the barbecue should avoid doing so in parks and open spaces.
Cigarettes dropped on dry grass that have not been properly extinguished are very likely to cause a grass fire, and even cigarettes thrown from a car window can start a fire.
Many roads are banked by or near to grassland, and these can be easily set on fire by a cigarette when dried out.
Even glass left in the parks can start fires too, as the glass can magnify the sun and start a fire if it is left on or near to dry grass.
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