HOT weather sparked the first substantial moorland fire of the season in Huddersfield.
Firefighters spent two-and-a-half hours dousing flames on moors near Royds Edge, Meltham.
And people are now warned to take simple precautions to stop similar blazes in the coming months.
In the wake of Sunday's blaze, a fire service spokesman said: "Grass and moorland fires can so easily be prevented and we would urge people to take simple precautions to keep such incidents to an absolute minimum.
"When the ground gets dry, these fires can spread exceptionally quickly, put lives at risk and destroy a lot of land. It can take only a few days of dry weather to increase fire hazards. It does not need to be a long hot spell."
He urged people not to have fires in the open and never on moors.
"Carelessly discarded cigarettes continue to cause us major problems," he said.
"And people should never leave litter.
"Glass can magnify the sun's rays and cause fires."
He warned people not to try to douse grass or moorland fires unless they are very small.
"These kinds of fires can spread very quickly," he said. "And there is always the added danger of the wind changing direction."
He also urged people not park their cars across the entrances to rural lanes or tracks.
"They stop fire engines getting to the scene of a blaze."
