High wildfire risk in Northumberland prompts urgent precautions

Prolonged dry weather has left vegetation severely parched and stressed, with far less greening than usual for this time of year.

The county’s fire and rescue service has already responded to multiple small deep-seated fires and one significant deep-seated wildfire. This is an especially concerning development given the increased difficulty and potential damage associated with extinguishing such fires.

It is asking the public to help prevent wildfires by following key safety measures such as avoid open fires, campfires and BBQs in the countryside, fully extinguish cigarettes and dispose of them responsibly, and take all litter home.

Other measures include park vehicles responsibly, avoiding dry vegetation where hot exhausts or catalytic converters could ignite a fire, and community members are also encouraged to raise awareness of wildfire risks within their networks to help reduce potential ignitions.

This means that, for example, those heading out to the countryside are being asked at the moment to pack a picnic and not a BBQ.

If you witness a wildfire, immediately ensure you are in a safe location and call 999, requesting fire and rescue.

Provide as much detail as possible including the location of the fire (using grid references or What3Words if available), the direction the fire is spreading and a description of the vegetation burning and any structures or hazards in the fire’s path.

For more information or guidance on wildfire messaging, go to www.northumberlandfireandrescue.gov.uk/wildfire