Fire patrols to take place in the New Forest
Teams want to connect with as many people using the national park this summer
Last updated 22nd Aug 2021
Joint weekend patrols will take place in the New Forest over the next two months to help encourage everyone visiting to be fire safety aware.
Volunteers from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) are joining forces with Rangers from Forestry England and the New Forest National Park Authority.
The team will be talking to visitors to remind them that the New Forest is a strictly no BBQ and fire zone and sharing tips on how everyone can help prevent wildfires in the countryside.
The teams will be highly visible and aim to connect with as many people as possible, covering key locations across the Forest.
HIGH RISK OF WILDFIRES
The New Forest continues to be on high alert for the risk of wildfires. To help protect the area from the potential devastation of fires, earlier this year BBQs and fire of any kind were banned across the New Forest including in its car parks.
The ban covers land managed by Forestry England, National Trust, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Hampshire County Council’s Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes Local Nature Reserve and Lepe Country Park. All BBQ facilities at Forestry England sites have been removed and prominent no BBQ signs have been installed at Forest car parks and information points.
Since summer 2020, the New Forest National Park Authority has been calling on retailers across the Forest to remove disposable barbecues from sale and for a continued ban on fires and barbecues in the open countryside of the National Park.
Following their plea, 50 shops and outlets in and around the New Forest have taken disposable BBQs off sale. The NPA is continuing the campaigning in 2021 and is recruiting additional outlets this year to support a BBQ-free New Forest.
Station Manager Dean Hodges, HIWFRS’ wildfire lead, said: “Although we all welcome the warmer weather, drier conditions through the summer months increase the risk of wildfires which is a real concern. Hopefully by raising awareness through initiatives like this, we can encourage members of the public to follow the countryside code and help us to prevent incidents from occurring in the first place.”
HIWFRS Volunteer Co-ordinator Lee Joss said: "We have a dedicated group of community volunteers who support our Service in a variety of ways, and we are thrilled that they will be able to support Forestry England and New Forest National Park Rangers with engaging with members of the public to help raise awareness of the risk of fires in the open.”
Charlotte Belcher, Community Manager at Forestry England, said: “Caring for the New Forest is a team effort and it’s great to have support from our local fire service again this summer. Patrolling jointly allows us to share fire safety awareness with many more people. This is a special place and everyone spending time here has a role to play in looking after it. This includes not using BBQs or fire of any kind and staying alert to the risk of wildfires.”