A GRASS fire in Colburn near Richmond has prompted the fire service to warn children not to play with matches.

The blaze yesterday in a field where waste hay had been gathered into a pile, was extinguished by firefighters and no one was hurt.

But fire service spokesman Terry Glover said it could easily have been a different story.

"After a few hot days, fire can spread through dry grass very rapidly. We would warn children not to play with matches, as they could find themselves in danger very quickly and we do not want a tragedy to spoil the summer holidays," he said.