Summer heatwave
Wildfire warning issued by CLA East as temperatures continue to climb
CLA East is urging the public to take extra care in the countryside due to the increased fire risk as warm, dry, and settled conditions have elevated wildfire conditions.
There have been reports of incidents already, and forecasters say temperatures are reaching the high 30s in the region.
Wildfires have the capability to devastate farmland, wildlife and also pose a risk to the lives of people living and working in rural and adjacent communities.
Wildfires can be prevented by not discarding cigarettes or other smouldering material. The same can be said for litter as quite often bottles and shards of glass can spark a fire.
Some CLA members have highlighted the increased fire risk associated with disposable barbeques that are used in the countryside, urging the visiting public not to barbeque in rural areas. Barbeques should only take place in sheltered areas well away from combustible material, and properly extinguished afterwards.
The CLA has also long called for the ban on sky lanterns as these pose a serious risk of fire, especially in the countryside. At present the Government is unwilling to introduce a ban as they do not consider the dangers significant enough, despite animal deaths and fires as a result of sky lanterns.