Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging people to heed safety warnings as it continues to experience a busy month as the country faces soaring temperatures.

Fire-fighters dealt with what they have described as "unprecedented demand" during July, attending more than 1,000 incidents as the thermometers hit 40 degrees.

Many of the recent fires involved farmland and, due to the dry and hot conditions, spread extremely quickly. This meant several fire engines were required to attend to ensure there were enough fire-fighters to put the fire out and maintain a consistent water supply.

Group Commander Rob Olivier, the service’s head of community fire safety, said: "The last month has been a very tough one for us. The hot weather always presents us with challenges, especially when there is little or no rain. This makes the perfect conditions for a fire to spread rapidly.

"Fires involving farmland challenge our crews as the water supply is often an issue, so we will often need to call on several fire engines to try and have enough water available across the land area to prevent it from spreading. Not only this, but the physical demands on our crews are immense, especially with the heavy PPE they wear.

"It’s very easy for a fire like this to start. Something small like not fully stubbing out a cigarette, or sunlight reflecting from discarded broken glass can start a fire. However, some fires are started maliciously, which not only destroys land and property but can also lead to serious injury.

"We saw this a few weekends ago with a large fire involving farmland in East Cambridgeshire. At its height we needed 14 fire engines and more than 50 firefighters to extinguish the fire, but not before it had spread to land across Haddenham and Witchford. This fire was believed to have been started deliberately.

"We urge everyone to keep fire safety in their minds while enjoying the hot weather. Simple things like avoiding having a bonfire for garden waste and using recycling centres. Also think about alternatives to a barbecue, especially if it’s windy, as the flames can easily spread to garden furniture and fencing."