There’s been a fresh appeal for people to be careful about inadvertently starting fires in the current sweltering heat.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture is urging visitors to the countryside to avoid damaging gorse, heather, grass, and crops.

It’s asking the public not to light camp fires or barbeques near vegetation, keep disposable barbeques off the ground and take litter home as discarded glass bottles can start fires.

It’s also asking motorists not to throw cigarette ends out of car windows, especially in tinder-dry uplands.

Yesterday, firefighters tackled three fires in gorse and grass.