A huge fire that devastated Mitcham Common at the weekend may have been caused by a rogue cigarette.

Varuska da Fonte shared this video of the fire

A spokeswoman for the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said the grass fire consumed six hectares of land, approximately the size of 10 football pitches. An official statement from the LFB has now confirmed that grass the size of eight football pitches was damaged by the blaze.

From Saturday: Mitcham Common blaze: Area the size of 10 football pitches on fire

Although the cause of the blaze is unknown, the LFB have said it is likely to have been caused by a discarded cigarette.

An LFB spokesman said: “Grass fires can be started deliberately or accidentally, but however they start, they can cause huge damage to property and kill wildlife.

“If you see a grass fire, don’t attempt to put it out yourself as grass fires can travel very quickly and change direction without warning. Call the fire brigade and let us know where the fire is.”

He added: “The most common causes of grass fires are discarded cigarettes, which if thrown from a car window can ignite dry grass verges.

“Another common way that these fires start is from glass bottles which can concentrate the sun’s rays onto dry grass and shrubbery.”

Six fire engines and 35 firefighters were called to Mitcham Common at 2.39pm on Saturday, July 23, and the fire was under control by 4.37pm. Fire crews from Mitcham, Wimbledon, Wallington, Sutton and Norbury all attended.