A number of houses had to be evacuated after a barbecue gas cylinder caught alight in temperatures of up to 30 degrees.

The incident happened at a home in Kohat Road off Haydon’s Road in Wimbledon on Friday, July 12, at about 6.30pm.

Several houses within a 25m exclusion zone were evacuated while fire fighters made the area safe.

Dave Brown, the London Fire Brigade’s head of operations, prevention and response said: "With the hot weather, more and more people will be planning on having a barbecue. We’re concerned if people don’t take care there could be a spate of barbecue fires that could easily be prevented with a little common sense.

"Barbecues are fine as long as you take a few sensible steps, such as lighting them well away from anything that could catch fire and never leaving them unattended. It’s important to take care with gas barbecues too as gas can explode when exposed to heat.

"It’s also important to read the manufacturer’s instructions on your barbecue and check that all joints are tightened."

No one was injured in the incident.

London Fire Brigade’s top barbecue safety tips:

• Keep a bucket of water or sand nearby for emergencies

• Barbecues must be placed on level ground so they don’t tip over • Only use approved barbecue fuel or fire lighters. Never use petrol or paraffin.

• When you have finished cooking, make sure the barbecue is cool before you try to move it.

• Empty the spent ash on to bare garden soil - never put it in the dustbin.

For gas barbecues: • If using gas, store gas cylinders outside, away from direct sunlight and frost.

• Make sure the tap is turned off before changing the gas cylinder.

• After cooking, turn the gas supply off first and then the barbecue control. This will stop any gas from leaking.

• Make sure all joints are tightened, safe and secure.