A fire believed to have been started deliberately in a wooded path in South Oxhey was spotted just in time by a passing family.

Father-of-three Jack Backhouse saw the small blaze off Prestwick Road, parallel to the river, at around 4.30pm on Tuesday, October 3.

The 30-year-old said: “My first thought was to make sure my family were out of the way.

Watford Observer: Left: boards on fire. Right: after the fire had been put out. Left: boards on fire. Right: after the fire had been put out. (Image: Jack Backhouse)

“Luckily, I had the kids’ water bottles and we were near the river, so I filled them up several times and put the fire out.”

The estate agent added it could have been “a lot worse” had he been there 10 minutes later, and it “was quite clearly intentional” because two small board panels were on fire directly under a tree that was hanging over.

He posted about it on social media but did not contact Herts Fire and Rescue. 

The service urged anyone who sees a fire being started deliberately to contact them.

"Our operational crews regularly carry out vigilance checks in areas of concern and report back if there are any problems that need a multi-agency approach," a spokesperson added.