After a weekend which saw an area of grassland the size of three football pitches engulfed by flames in two separate fires, Caroline Cooper could not help but think of her twin sister.

Grass fires were a regular occurrence on Dartford Heath even 20 years ago, when Tawnya Cooper and Caroline regularly rode their bikes there.

Driven by a sense of civic duty at the age of just 14, Tawnya was tired of seeing firefighters risk their lives so often to extinguish the troublesome blazes and decided to bring in some changes.

Caroline, 34, of Greenhithe, said: "We were living up the road from Dartford Heath and me and my sister used to visit there quite a lot.

"There were a lot of grass fires happening at the time and we thought there was absolutely nothing being done to prevent them.

"Originally, we thought that fitting alarms on the land would be a good idea, but that proved to be a bit too complicated.

"So my sister came up with the idea of putting up some posts which could help firefighters locate where the fire was."

From this brainstorming session with Caroline, Tawnya became inspired to draw up a petition in the hope that she could persuade Dartford council to support her.

It is fair to say Tawnya and her sister had more pressing issues to take care of at the time as the twins were born with cardiomyopathy – a chronic disease of the heart muscle which saw them both pay visits to hospital on a regular basis.

But clipboard in hand, the teenager went on regardless to the High Street on market day to round up supporters along with a friend.

"She just got on with it, you know,” Caroline added. "She just went and stopped people in the town to ask if they would help. It was completely off her own back.

"I work as a teaching assistant so it’s nice to know of a teenager doing something good for the community – not like the reputation people her age get nowadays."

Tawnya managed to round up over 100 signatures which she presented to the council.

Perhaps charmed by her youthful community spirit, they swung into action and to this day you can see 28 numbered fire posts dotted round the 361-acre heath.

If someone spots a fire, they dial 999 and tell the operator which number post is closest to the blaze, cutting down the time it takes to get there and extinguish it.

The posts continue to be useful to firefighters, and Tawnya’s hard work helped them this week.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service watch manager, David Boakes, said: “The marker posts on Dartford Heath continue to be extremely helpful to Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

“The markers allow us to be as accurate as possible in deploying our resources to the location of the fire as quickly as possible.”

Mr Boakes added: “We were called to a small fire on the heath on Tuesday to marker post 27, where we extinguished a fire. Tawnya’s legacy is helping us today and will continue to help us into the future.”

At the age of just 21, Tawnya passed away waiting for a heart and lung transplant in 2003.

Her sister, though, is happy that her good attitude and thoughtfulness has left a lasting legacy.

"I am very proud of her. She was always very conscientious about wildlife and the environment.

"Tawnya was a kind, thoughtful, sweet natured woman, who thought of others before herself. Myself and all her family are so proud of her. We remember her every day."