At the end of last month, a new County Durham Wildfire Group held its first formal meeting in Bishop Auckland.
Left to right: Sarah Nadtrass, Director for Operational Response and Resilience CDDFRS; Dan Wootton, Divisional Manager, Emergency Response CDDFRS; David Gray, Chairman GSC Grays; Sam Cole, GSC Grays Rural Associate Director.
Over the past year there has been collaboration with numerous owners of large areas of uplands and the County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS), together assessing wildfire risk and putting down on paper an outline of resource and response in the event of a wildfire on our fragile uplands.
CDDDRS presented statistics to the group showing that an overwhelming majority of wildfires are started through carelessness and, too many, deliberately.
Peak risk periods are spring and summer. Summer seems obvious, during long hot spells. A long dry spring, like to the one before recent snowfall, leaves dead dry grasses at particular risk and in recent years has been very much a time of year to be on alert to the potential of wildfire. Fuel load, in dry conditions, any time of year, provides a real risk of wildfire. Good management, and preparedness in understanding risk and planning response is essential for any landowner.
It is important for any landowner to be prepared for the unthinkable, but always possible, wildfire. The first step is to have an agreed wildfire management plan in place with CDDFRS. Contact Dan Wootton at CDDFRS, based at Bishop Auckland, or email Sam Cole at GSC Grays.
Work on updating risk and planning for wildfire response is progressing well across the uplands. Elsewhere, Durham Wildlife Trust has undertaken to review all 52 wildlife sites it manages, recognising that many are on the fringes of urban conurbations, which seem particularly at risk to deliberate fire starting.
Going forward public education will be essential. A careless cigarette, broken glass, not understanding risks and proper management of disposable bar-b-ques, are all preventable.
The County Durham Wildfire Group has made a great start, although there is still much more to do. Liaison with farmers, through bodies such as the NFU, and taking on board the knowledge of those on the ground, managing our landscapes day to day and understanding them intimately, will be key to success.