Council issues warning as wildfire risk in Flintshire is “increasing by the day”

Flintshire Countryside Service has issued a warning over the increased risk of wildfires as the heatwave continues.

With scorching hot temperatures and dry conditions, it’s no surprise to see the fire risk in Flintshire, as measured by The Met Office – reach level 5 – ‘very high fire severity.’

Image of The Met Office’s Fire Severity Index (FSI) map. The FSI uses information such as wind speed, temperature, time of year and rainfall to produce a fire severity assessment. 

The council is urging people to take extreme care in the countryside during the current hot weather and take all possible steps to prevent fires.

Officials from the Clwydian Range & Dee Valley issued an “extreme fire risk” last week due to tinder-dry grass, bracken and heather on Moel Fammau and surrounding range.

Huge fires have affected land in parts of Gwynedd and Anglesey in the last few days, and several major incidents have been declared as moorland fires rage in the North West of England.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service have had two fire crews and one off-road vehicle attending at a fire involving grass in Pentre Halkyn this afternoon.

Councillor Carolyn Thomas, Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Countryside, said:

“Whilst many of us will be enjoying this unusually prolonged spell of extremely hot weather, it does not come without risk.

The ground is now tinder dry and the risk of fire is increasing by the day.

A fire out of doors, whether started deliberately or accidentally, can spread and cover large areas very quickly.

Simple precautions such as avoiding barbeques in the open countryside and making sure that lit cigarettes are discarded properly and safely can significantly reduce the risk of fire.

We would ask people to please take the utmost care when in the countryside and take all necessary steps to protect against fire.”

Kevin Roberts, Senior Fire Safety Manager, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said:

“In these dry conditions, fires involving grass, bracken and heather can develop extremely quickly, especially in raised winds, and fires can soon get out of control and spread to neighbouring properties or forestry, with the need for us then to attend to extinguish them.

So if you are out, it is more important than ever in these conditions to make sure that any smoking materials are discarded and extinguished properly.

If you are out camping, again make sure that campfires or barbeques are fully extinguished. Better still, avoid open fires altogether in this dry period.

These fires place tremendous pressure on our resources, with firefighters tied up for a considerable length of time working to bring them under control.

Quite often they also happen in areas where access is extremely difficult and water supply is limited.

Remember – setting fires is a criminal offence and we are actively working alongside North Wales Police to combat deliberate incidents – those found to be responsible will be prosecuted.”

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