'Countryside wildfire warning' issued after crews attended almost 1,000 outdoor fires last year
People enjoying the Devon and Somerset countryside are urged to be responsible
Last updated 22nd May 2024
Following the recent hot weather, there’s a plea not to use barbecues in open spaces across Devon and Somerset
Fire crews say the ground is currently super dry and they want to avoid the moorland fires we’ve seen in the past.
During 2023 firecrews responded to 970 outdoor fires across Devon and Somerset.
Firefighters are this week encouraging people to become ‘Wildfire Warriors’ - as they held an awareness event on Aylesbeare Common, near to the site of a huge wildfire in 2011, which destroyed around eight-and-half acres of its scrub and woodland.
Simon Lott, a firefighter from Middlemoor Fire Station warned incidents could be caused by something as simple as throwing a lit cigarette on the ground, or by the sun reflecting off a discarded glass bottle.
He said: “It’s crucial that people are extra vigilant as we move into the dry summer season, when we see a huge increase in wildfires in Devon and Somerset. Just one unguarded flame can lead to fires spreading across miles of land.
“We want to encourage people exploring our beautiful regions this summer to be safe and prevent wildfires, by avoiding open fires and taking picnics, disposing of cigarettes and litter properly, and reporting any signs of fire to us.
“Not only do wildfires put the lives of our communities and our firefighters at risk, but they also have long-term impacts on ecosystems and the creatures that call it home.”
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), who own part of Aylesbeare Common backed the campaign - warning species at risk of fire includethe Dartford Warbler, Stonechat, Nightjar, Adder, Grass Snake, Smooth Snake, Common Lizard and Slow Worm – all which nest on or near to the ground making them vulnerable to fire.
The common is also home to Southern Damselfly and the rare Silver-Studded Blue, Small Heath and Pearl Bordered Fritillary butterflies. As well as special bog plants, wild orchids and the reserve’s grazing Dartmoor and Exmoor Ponies and Cattle, which help manage RSPB Aylesbeare for wildlife.
Toby Taylor, RSPB’s Site Manager at Aylesbeare, said: “We are really grateful for the care and caution that most of our visitors take when exploring our Devon nature reserves and wider countryside. However, fires can be started by items that people wouldn’t even consider a risk.
“Heathland is one of the few habitats that is extremely flammable in the dry summer months, vast areas of highly designated heathland habitat are vulnerable to accidental wildfires, we work hard to keep the habitat in good condition and suitable for all our native wildlife, a single slip of concentration or accidental source of ignition can lead to massive destruction of this very rare and precious habitat.
“All it takes is a gust of wind to carry the spark a short distance to the dry and highly flammable heathland vegetation. And depending on the remoteness of the location, it can be really challenging for our local fire service to reach the area easily.”
For official advice from the fire service click here