00:00A 200-metre stretch of Sutton Park is now little more than charred ash and scorched earth.
00:06No birdsong, no grass, just blackened soil, brittle roots and the smouldering remains of one of Europe's largest urban green spaces.
00:15The blaze started with a disposable barbecue, tossed aside near Baldmere Gate.
00:20No arson, no malicious intent, just thoughtless heat in tinder dry weather.
00:2512 engines, over 50 firefighters, 6 hours of intense containment.
00:31Thermal imaging was used to track hotspots, access roads were sealed, rangers cleared the area, the fire is out but its aftermath isn't.
00:40What's left is stark, 20,000 square metres, roughly 3 football pitches gone.
00:45No regeneration yet, just exposed ground, carbon dust and silence.
00:50This wasn't a one-off, it's the second fire here in a week.
00:54Despite bans, warnings and repeat signage, disposable barbecues still show up and still go wrong.
01:00Sutton Park is a site of special scientific interest.
01:04It's home to nesting birds, rare insects and fragile ecosystems.
01:08Many won't recover, some may not return at all.
01:12The ash now blends into the paths.
01:14The heat has gone but the sense of loss hangs heavy.
01:17For regular visitors, it's not just the damage, it's what it represents.
01:21No injuries, no arrests but the land is marked and memories of what once stood here will take longer to fade than the smoke ever did.
01:30The fire's over but it's left its shape in the ground.
01:33In a place made for families, walkers and wildlife, this is what carelessness costs.
01:38It only takes a moment to cause damage like this and much longer to put it right.
01:43Don't threaten to understand.
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