Tinderbox Sussex: County in top 40 most fire-prone regions in UK

As the country prepares for another heatwave, people are being urged not to have barbecues due to the increased fire risk.

Confused.com has now analysed fire authority data to uncover the most fire-prone regions of the UK.

The experts have also issued key advice to help us avoid starting a fire.

West Sussex places 34th in the list of UK areas most prone to outdoor fires, receiving 54 callouts per 100,000 residents for garden-related blazes over the past decade.

That’s according to new research by Confused.com (Q3, 2022), which analysed outdoor incident report data from fire and rescue services across Great Britain.

Additionally, the rate of garden fires has increased by 16.11 per cent each year on average since 2012 – the sixth highest of all areas analysed.

East Sussex sits just behind in 35th, with 53 garden fires per 100,000 people. The rate of garden fires in East Sussex has increased by 11.54 per cent each year on average, according to the study.

The home counties are the most fire-prone areas of England, Confused.com revealed.

Bedfordshire, Inverclyde, Buckinghamshire, Surrey and Hertfordshire made up the top five.

Jessica Willock, home insurance expert at Confused.com, said: “Within recent years, this summer being no exception, we’ve seen unprecedented temperatures – seeing the rate of garden-related fires, and therefore wildfires, rise.

"In fact, by May this year, the UK had already surpassed the total number of wildfires seen in 2021. However, as most aren’t used to these soaring temperatures, we may not be aware of the dangerous situations we could be putting ourselves in."

Ms Willock said there are ‘every-day precautions’ that we can take while enjoying the hot weather.

This includes:

- Disposing of cigarettes appropriately: cigarettes that have not been properly extinguished may start a fire ‘on the smallest bits of dry grass’.

- If having a barbecue, make sure it’s never left unattended. Barbecues should be on a flat surface, away from any trees, plants or sheds. Confused.com also recommends using approved barbecue fuel or fire lighters and never paraffin.

- Ensuring there is no glass on the floor: glass left on dry grass could start a fire by magnifying the sun.

If you see dry grass smouldering, call 999 and report it immediately.

Ms Willock added: “If a fire gets out of control, we could be at risk of damaging any nearby items or buildings.

"This may ultimately lead to making a claim on our home insurance. If this does happen, our guide to making a home insurance claim outlines the process to make it as easy and stress-free as possible.”

Have you read?: Sussex woodland 'utterly unsuitable' for new Center Parcs holiday complex

Large fire in Walberton: West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service tackling ‘fire involving 15 acres of grassland’

Large fire reported at Fishbourne

The 18 best beaches in Sussex according to TripAdvisor reviews

For the latest breaking news where you live in Sussex, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.