A fire which could have caused a “catastrophic disaster” broke out in woodland near a children’s activity centre as firefighters battled against a number of blazes in hot weather.

Crews were called to a wooded area behind Park Avenue near the Lincolnsfield Centre in Bushey last Saturday. The alarm was raised at 9.45pm after reports of a fire out of control.

Firefighters attended and came across 20 logs alight which had been piled high with a large tyre on top. The fire was extinguished with a hose. The fire was believed to have been started deliberately but does not necessarily mean it was arson.

Children’s services manager at the Lincolnsfield Centre, Rachel Collins, has thanked the emergency services but also wants to highlight the dangers of lighting “uncontrolled” fires in the dry weather.

She said: “The irresponsibleness of this act of whoever thought it was a good idea cannot be expressed in words, especially considering the dry weather we have had. We were all in total disbelief when we found out on Sunday what had happened.

“All staff at the centre would like to extend a thanks to whoever spotted the smoke and called 999. What could have been a catastrophic disaster to not only the woodland but surrounding properties was fortunately prevented.”

Within the last few days, Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue have been called to a large number of fires in the open.

On July 8 at midday, crews were called to Wentworth Drive in South Oxhey after grass and trees were seen on fire and on the same day, a deliberately set fire had to be put out in All Saints Lane in Croxley Green.

Scrubland in Cassio Road in Watford also caught fire just before 8pm on July 8 and a crop of wheat caught fire in Munden.

On July 9, a fire broke out in Rucklers Lane in Kings Langley.

A fire was spotted in woodland in Grove Mill Lane in Watford on July 10 just before 9pm, while firefighters were called to King George Playing Fields in Tolpits Lane, Watford, after a grass fire, also on July 10.