FIRE chiefs say the fires that hit Hartlebury Common during the heatwave may have been accidental but it’s impossible to determine with any certainty.

The Stourport beauty spot went up in flames last Tuesday (July 19) as record-breaking temperatures hit the UK.

Crews from across the region descended on the nature reserve where the fire spread across 12 hectares.

Fire chiefs have been investigating to try to determine what caused the blaze but a spokesperson for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said today: “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.”

The fire service has since urged people to take particular care when out in the countryside.

Station Commander Richie Young 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 rainshower, don’t assume the ground will be damp and therefore safe. An inch or two below ground it will still be intensely hot.”