Plea to contact Wiltshire's fire service about bonfire plans

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service have issued advice to those wanting to start a bonfire this summer.

The Service is regularly called to fires which members of the public believe to be emergencies but, on attendance, are found to be bonfires or land clearance.

These calls cause a drain on their resources and put both the public and firefighters at risk when they respond under ‘blue light’ conditions.

ARE YOU HAVING A BONFIRE THIS SUMMER?

If that answer is yes, you need to contact control, let them know the exact location of your fire, the times you are planning on letting the fire burn, and a contact number for you, or whoever will be responsible for the site.

This will help them avoid mobilising crews to you unnecessarily. Please let them know if you are planning:

• A sizeable bonfire in your garden or on other land
• Any sort of fire on farmland
• Stubble burning

If you are going to have a bonfire, or another type of controlled burning that will be visible to passers-by, you can let our Fire Control know by filling out this online form.

SAFETY ADVICE IF YOU'RE HAVING A BONFIRE THIS SUMMER

Bonfires are very common in the summer, but they can get out of control very easily. If you want to burn off garden waste, here’s some safety advice:

• Site any bonfire well away from buildings, fences, trees and garden structures.
• Have a garden hose to hand in case the fire starts to get out of control.
• Don’t light a bonfire on a windy day, as it could flare up more than you expect.
• Be courteous to your neighbours – if you’re planning a substantial bonfire, let them know, and stay with it at all times to ensure that it remains safe.
• If you’re intending to have a large bonfire, use our on-line form – we often receive emergency calls from people who can see lots of smoke, and it helps us to know where this could be a controlled burn.
• Never use flammable liquids such as petrol or paraffin to start a bonfire.

If you have concerns about the environmental impacts of bonfires, such as smoke, you will need to contact Dorset council.

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