Kyloe Woods fire: Drone footage shows damage after wildlfire rips through Northumberland woodland

A plea has been issued for people to be extra careful outdoors with cigarettes, extinguishing barbecues and to hold off from starting fires following the hot and dry weather the region has been experiencing in recent weeks.

It comes after Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service was called to Kyloe Woods, just off the C18 road, near Lowick in North Northumberland, to put out the blaze, which covered 71,000 squared metres of land and saw it call in support from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

At its height, the service had six appliances, two 4x4 units and 38 people tackling the incident, with the drone used to help it assess the situation as it unfolded.

The Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team and Northumbria Police also responded to the incident, with the first reports made at 12.07pm on Friday, June 4, with the emergency services urging people to keep away.

By 9.15pm that night firefighters reported the intensity of the fire had reduced thanks to the lowering temperatures and the “fantastic efforts of all the crews involved.”

As nighttime drew in, it downscaled resources, with one crew staying on scene during the night and hot spots were reassessed the next morning.

It is not known how the fire started, but an investigation will be carried out to determine the cause.

The service has said the incident is a “timely reminder of the devastating impact of wildfire” on our environment.

Stephen Kennedy, Emergency Response Group Manager at Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service said: “This fire only serves to demonstrate how quickly fires can develop in dry conditions in wooded or heathland areas.

“They can cause considerable damage to our wildlife and natural environment which can take many years to recover from a wildfire.

“We continually urge everyone to be wildfire alert, respect the Countryside Code and please don’t light fires and barbecues.

“We ask that members of the public stay away from the Kyloe Woods area at this time.”

The mountain rescue team, which is backed by donations, sent seven team members to the incident who spent seven hours at the scene.

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