The British Red Cross has issued new survival guidance for people caught in UK wildfires, advising them not to run away but to bury themselves in soil if no body of water is nearby.
Guidance for those trapped by flames
The charity said those trapped by flames should ideally "head for a body of water" and safely enter it. But if this option is not available, Brits are advised to "look for shelter in a cleared area among a bed of rocks, lie flat, face down and cover their bodies with soil, breathing air close to the ground".
The guidance added: "If you are advised to evacuate, or if you think you are in danger, evacuate immediately. Don't wait to be told to evacuate. A wildfire may spread too fast for officials to issue evacuation orders. If you are not trained and equipped to fight a wildfire, do not put your life at risk. Leave right away: delay could be deadly."
Ongoing blazes and alerts
It comes as firefighters continue to tackle ongoing blazes across the UK, with 19 homes in Stourbridge, in the West Midlands, destroyed last Thursday, the hottest day of the year so far.
Millions were warned not to light anything that could spark a wildfire, including BBQs and garden incinerators, in "the most extensive use" of the UK's mobile phone alert system on Friday.
Prime Minister's warning
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told members of the public to take the warning "seriously" and said it was triggered at the request of firefighters. Visiting Stourbridge, where a blaze has spread across more than 500 acres, Mr Burnham described Britain as "a tinderbox".
