Wiltshire still under Amber alert for Wildfires
A warning reminder from our Fire Service as dry conditions continue
Last updated 29th Apr 2022
The Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service area is still under an Amber alert for wildfires.
As we head into a Bank Holiday weekend there's a reminder that the county is still facing a high risk of potentially devastating heath fires, or wildfires.
It means that, should a wildfire start, it could spread quickly and easily due to the dry and windy conditions.
As seen with the major incident at Wareham Forest in 2020, wildfires take a great deal of resources and time to bring under control, and cause devastation to heath, woodland and wildlife.
Only last weekend our Fire Service tackled the largest blaze in recent years at Canford Heath in Poole.
People needed to be evacuated from their homes because of the flames.
The cause of that wildfire is still being investigated.
As a county, Wiltshire has been under a wildfire alert since before Easter, as well as the New Forest too.
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service's Group Manager, Graham Kewley, has said many blazes are preventable:
"Truly accidental fires are few and far between. The most likely cause of fires on heathland areas does, unfortunately, tend to be down to human activity. Whether that's with malicious intent, or just down to recklessness, or careless, or just lack of understanding of the risks that are on the heath."