County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue reminding public dangers of barbecues
The fire service is encouraging people to take picnics instead of barbecues this summer to avoid starting wildfires in the countryside.
As the weather looks to improve ahead of the bank holiday, we are being reminded of the dangers of wildfires across County Durham and how easy they are to spark.
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue are running a new video campaign to show the dangers of using barbecues in dry and grassland areas.
The service say that between April 2022 and March 2024 they have tackled almost 20 wildfires in the region.
Gary Greenwood, wildfire lead at the service, said: "First and foremost, wildfires pose a threat to human life and property. Secondly, wildfires can cause extensive damage to the environment, destroying wildlife habitats and leading to long term ecological imbalance. Finally, they can also strain our emergency response resources.
"Leaving your BBQ, for example, unsupervised or not ensuring it's fully extinguished with water before you leave it can lead to fires, which obviously can spread quickly.
"Move yourself to a place of safety. Call 999 immediately and ask for the fire and rescue service. Don't attempt to tackle the fire yourself. Even if you see your fire in a busy area, don't assume anybody has automatically just phoned 999.
"By taking this preventative measure, we can protect lives, preserve our natural landscapes, and ensure that our resources are available when they're most needed."
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