Burning bush fire on Hampstead Heath as twigs burst into flames

Two fire engines were driven onto Hampstead Heath after a dead bush erupted in flames.

Firefighters were called after a fire broke out at a pile of twigs in East Heath yesterday.

The fire crews doused the blaze after being taken to the scene by the Hampstead Heath Constabulary.

A spokesman for the City of London Corporation, which manages the Heath, said the cause remains unknown.

He added: “It was picked up fairly early and thankfully no further damage was caused. It was a dead bush that had been put around vulnerable trees to protect them.”