Michael shares this latest news on behalf of the Country, Land and Business Association (CLA). Ed
CLA South East is calling on the public to take extra care in the countryside due to the increased fire risk as warm, dry, and settled conditions have elevated wildfire conditions.
There have been reports of several fires in the region already this week, from more than 100 firefighters tackling an undergrowth blaze in Lydd in Kent, to a large field fire in Seer Green in Buckinghamshire.
Dry conditions likely to continue over next two months
This week’s warm weather coincides with an increase of visitors to the countryside with the advent of school holidays. And the dry conditions are likely to continue over the next two months, with the medium-range forecast predicting a prolonged spell of above-average sunshine and below-average rainfall.
Wildfires have the capability to devastate farmland, wildlife and also pose a risk to the lives of people living and working in rural and adjacent communities.
How to prevent a wildfire
Wildfires can be prevented by not discarding cigarettes or other smoldering material. The same can be said for litter as quite often bottles and shards of glass can spark a fire.
Some CLA members have highlighted the increased fire risk associated with disposable barbeques that are used in the countryside, urging the visiting public not to barbeque in rural areas. Barbeques should only take place in sheltered areas well away from combustible material, and properly extinguished afterwards.
Longtime ban on sky lanterns
The CLA has also long called for the ban on sky lanterns as these pose a serious risk of fire, especially in the countryside. At present the Government is unwilling to introduce a ban as they do not consider the dangers significant enough, despite animal deaths and fires as a result of sky lanterns.
CLA South East represents thousands of landowners, farmers and rural businesses in Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the Isle of Wight.
Edwards: Fires cause significant impacts
Regional Director Robin Edwards said:
“We have witnessed the significant impacts of recent fires, both on communities as well as scarring the landscape and destroying wildlife, and we appeal to the public to be extra vigilant when out and about in the countryside.
“Please take litter home, use common sense and keep an eye out.”
Advice for the public
In an effort to reduce the number and severity of wildfires, partnership members of the South East England Wildfire Group have issued advice to the public:
What to do:
- Do not try and tackle the fire yourself.
- Call 999 and request the fire service.
- Give an accurate location of the fire e.g. Name of the nearest road, access points, visible land marks (pubs, farms, power lines etc), locally known names, and map grid references.
- Move to a safe area and contact the local land manager if possible.
- If the fire is in a remote area, please meet emergency services at the access point so that you can guide them to the location.
What not to do:
- Don’t discard cigarettes.
- Don’t have BBQs in unauthorised areas.
- Never leave a BBQ unattended.
- Don’t discard rubbish – particularly reflective materials.
- Don’t burn off garden rubbish during hot periods or if you live close to woodland.
- Don’t have bonfires on hot days or during prolonged periods of dry weather.
