If the school holidays mean you will be visiting one of Dorset & Wiltshire’s local heathlands or outdoors spaces to enjoy the wildlife and wilderness, please take a picnic.
So says Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) which is encouraging residents and visitors to take a picnic and not a barbecue.
The service says: ‘Warmer and breezy weather increases the risk of accidental or deliberate fires in our open spaces. A wildfire can move at speeds faster than an Olympic sprinter, so we are asking people who are out and about to follow some simple steps.
‘If you are enjoying our open spaces when a fire occurs, get to a safe place and call 999 with as much information as possible.
Consider downloading and using What3Words to identify your exact location.
‘You can also help by reporting any antisocial behaviour on the heath to the Police on 101.
‘During 2021, DWFRS dealt with 494 fires in the open. In 2022, we have already seen large wildfires in Dorset & Wiltshire and firefighters across the UK have dealt with more wildfires between January and May than in the whole of 2021 (243 compared to 237 in 2021).’
Area manager Marc House, head of prevention at DWFRS said: “There is a trend that the number of deliberately set fires and fires caused by barbecues and bonfires in these open spaces, increases.
He added: “If you are a smoker, never ever just throw them away lit – the result could be 50 or 100 firefighters tackling the subsequent blaze.”
Anyone caught starting a fire on a heath will be prosecuted whether it is a case of deliberate arson or neglect.