Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is continuing to remind residents to reduce the risk of wildfires during the summer months.
As temperatures continue to climb and conditions remain dry, the risk of fires occurring in fields, woodlands and parks remains high. The Service is therefore asking residents to do their part to prevent wildfires from occurring.
“We want people to enjoy the outdoors responsibly and to keep themselves safe” said Steve Leonard, Group Manager at RBFRS.
“In the last few days, we’ve seen significant wildfires occur across the country, particularly those in Dorset and near Edinburgh. These fires cause incredible amounts of damage and place significant demand on fire and rescue services.
“Whilst our crews are equipped and ready to respond to fires in the open, the most important thing we can do is prevent them from occurring in the first place.”
Preventing fires in the open
To help reduce the risk of a wildfire starting, the Service is asking residents not to use disposable barbecues, especially when out and about in rural areas.
Similarly, please do not have bonfires in your garden or elsewhere while conditions are especially dry. Bonfires can easily get out of hand and quickly spread to surrounding trees and structures.
Littering is another leading cause of fires in the open. Properly disposing of glass bottles or cigarettes can make all the difference. Take your rubbish home with you if there are no bins available.
If you are a farmer, make sure that you safely store any fuel, pesticides or crops to mitigate the risk of a fire occurring.
Report irresponsible behaviour
Many fires in the open are started deliberately or are due to careless, reckless, or irresponsible behaviour. If you see or suspect someone of acting suspiciously, recklessly, or irresponsibly in the countryside contact the Police on 101 or pass information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
If you discover a fire
Do not try to fight a fire in the open if you discover one when out and about. Instead, get yourself to safe location and call 999. Ask for the fire and rescue service and give as accurate a description of your location as possible.
If you are a farmer or landowner, you may need to show attending firefighters where to access your property from so that they can quickly reach a fire. Make sure that gates are open or unlocked so that crews can get through when they arrive.