DARTMOOR national park rangers have warned that the current dry spell of weather combined and an increasing number of people on the moor has created an extreme fire risk.

Bylaws prevent open fires on Dartmoor but people are being asked not to have barbecues on the moor, which is currently tinder dry.

The warning follows a series of fires on Dartmoor, and over the border in Cornwall, that have devastated acres of moorland.

‘It’s drier now and we could easily have another one,’ said Dartmoor National Park emergency officer Rob Steemson.

‘The weather has been so good over the last couple of weeks and the landscape has dried out very quickly so we are now at an extreme fire risk.

‘We are worried that someone may kick over a stove or an illegal camp fire may get out of hand.’

The most recent fire on Dartmoor was early this month on Easter Monday. It was tackled by firefighters before it caused widespread damage.