A FIRE was sparked at a Minehead beauty spot after a barbecue was 'carelessly' disposed of.

Firefighters rushed to North Hill at around 3pm yesterday (May 18) to reports of the blaze.

On arrival crews discovered fire involving tree scrub and heathland.

Somerset County Gazette:

A second engine from Minehead was requested to supply additional water due to fire spread into larger branches from fallen trees.

The cause of the fire has sparked a warning from firefighters, who had to risk their safety to deal with the incident caused by carelessness.

A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said: "On investigating the scene, the crew discovered a discarded disposable BBQ.

Somerset County Gazette:

"BBQs on heathland are really bad news and can lead to large fires requiring many resources.

"This would be frustrating at the best of times, but during the current social distancing measures, puts crews at additional risk for a completely unavoidable incident.

"Please do not use BBQs on heathland or near any vegetation."