With temperatures continuing to surpass 30 degrees, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is keen to warn people the hidden dangers of fun in the sun.

This comes after the Service saw a 70 per cent increase in the number of outdoor fires from April to September 2025, in comparison to the previous year.

We caught up with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service's Prevention Delivery Lead, Mark Downes, to find out more about the consequences of this type of fire.

He said: "As soon as we approach or we're into a hot weather spell, we see a spike and an increase in what we call secondary fires.

"In particular, the ones we're interested in are woodland fires because they potentially can turn into what we call a wildfire, which is extremely resource rich and it takes a lot of the appliances away from stations, so they can't respond to day-to-day calls such as house fires.

"That's why it's really important that we stop that happening in the first place.

Mark told Nub News that a fire a few years ago at The Roaches cost around 1.5 million pounds to put out and exhausted the Service's resources meaning Cheshire and West Midlands fire services needed to be called in to help.

It was discovered that the fire had been started by a barbecue, a common cause of outdoor fires despite the fact that they are illegal in many places across Staffordshire including The Roaches and Cannock Chase.

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Outdoor fires can put great strain on emergency services (image via Graham Hogg on Geograph)

Mark added: "A lot of woodlands have local residents that live nearby.

"So that [during hot weather] can be a really, really worrying time for those local residents.

"People worry for their lives."

Staffordshire Fire and Rescue also want people to avoid swimming in water during hot weather no matter how tempting it may seem.

Since the beginning of this year, five people have died as a result of drowning in Staffordshire.

Mark said: "It's about understanding the dangers, that's the real important part.

"It might look inviting and especially in this warm, warm weather.

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"I think the parents have got the biggest part to play, relaying the messages that we try to get out there.

"You can't see the hidden dangers, underlying currents for example, sharp objects, tree roots, things like that."

"Underlying currents that you're unaware of and can't see, they can drag you under and even the strongest swimmers will struggle in that type of environment."

The national 'Float to Live Campaign', endorsed by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, encourages people to float on the water while they await assistance from emergency services.

A helpful video can be seen below.

For more information, click here.

Header image via Graham Hogg on Geograph