A COUNCIL has pleaded with people not to smoke or use barbecues in green areas as it showed shocking before and after pictures of a golf course ravaged by fire.
Seaford Town Council has urged people to be careful as temperatures remain high and the wait for rain continues.
The council shared before and after images of Seaford Head Golf Course, where a large fire broke out on August 6.
Four fire engines from East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and two Land Rovers attended the blaze which was estimated to span almost five acres.
“What a difference two months can make,” said a council spokesman.
“There is no sign of an end to the very dry weather, and so there is a higher than normal risk of fires breaking out.
“Please can everyone be as careful as they can be when they are at Seaford Head Golf Course or other green spaces.
“We are asking the public not to smoke or use barbecues on the golf course, and be mindful of the risks of glass or other materials that may cause fire/spread fire when it breaks out.”
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has advised people not to light open fires in the countryside, to extinguish cigarettes properly and not to throw them out of car windows.
The service also advised people to only use barbecues or camp fires in suitable and safe areas, never leave them unattended and ensure that barbecues are fully extinguished and cold before disposing of the contents.
The Met Office recently confirmed that Sussex experienced its driest July in history.
And the Environment Agency moved Sussex into drought status last week.
But a thunderstorm weather warning for Sussex has come into force as the heatwave came to an abrupt end today.
The yellow weather warning, issued by the Met Office, came into effect from 10am today and will last until Tuesday.
Another yellow warning for thunderstorms will also be in place from 9am on Wednesday until the end of the day.
The national weather service has warned of possible disruption, with as much as 30mm of rain within an hour.
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