A countryside ranger reprimanded a bearded man using a portable stove on Buckinghamshire's Coombe Hill on Saturday as wildfires burned across the United Kingdom.
The National Trust ranger sternly warned the cook that operating an open-flame stove in baking conditions posed a severe fire danger in the tinderbox-dry bushes.
Clad in a light blue patterned short-sleeved shirt, the chef appeared glum and annoyed as he was questioned on the hill, which directly overlooks Chequers, the official country residence of the British Prime Minister.
Coombe Hill, a prominent countryside landmark in the Chilterns, is managed by the National Trust conservation charity. The confrontation on the dry hill occurred just one day after the UK Government issued a national emergency alert on Friday night amid wildfires ravaging parts of the country.
National Wildfire Warning
Andy Burnham was heavily criticised for using the UK's national alert system to sound an alarm on mobile phones across the nation on Friday night to warn of the wildfire risk.
"There is a very high risk of wildfires nationally," the emergency alert message read.
"Residents, landowners and visitors should not undertake any activity that could start a fire, including disposable barbecues, firepits, garden incinerators or fireworks," the text warned.
"Even a small flame can rapidly develop into a major wildfire placing lives, homes, businesses and emergency responders at risk."
The blaring alert caused widespread disruption, prompting panicked Britons to jam emergency 999 telephone lines and startling drivers on the roads. The warning also blared out during a live broadcast of the BBC's flagship evening magazine programme The One Show, startling television presenters Alex Jones and Roman Kemp.
The outdoor cooking attempt showed that the national warning was not enough to deter the Buckinghamshire visitor. However, after the heated row on the dry ground, the ranger and the would-be chef resolved the situation amicably and shook hands.
