Barbecue warning after benches and branches burnt at Jersey reservoir

Jersey Water has warned islanders about the dangers of lighting barbecues in open countryside after picnic benches and tree branches were left burnt at Val de la Mare Reservoir. The company says that while the damage was not severe, it could have been a lot worse if the fire had got out of control. Mark Bowden, Jersey Water's Asset Manager, told ITV News: "It just presents a real risk of fires which can spread and cause real devastation across the land."We've got an arboretum here which is a really important home for many important species of trees. We have lots of native species. We have our friends, the red squirrels, lizards, lots of grasses and wildflowers and things like that."It's just not the right location for people to be having bonfires and barbecues."

Speaking about the impact of the damage, Mr Bowden said: "It just adds to the overall degradation of the area. The last thing we want is for this place to get a reputation for being a place where people can have fires so we really need to stamp it out and make sure that this site is looked after."John Michel from environmental charity Jersey Trees for Life also spoke about the dangers of lighting fires in the summer.He said: "It's [fire] dangerous anytime it's dry but it's particularly dangerous at this time of year when the sun's been out.

When asked what sort of impact a larger fire could have on the natural habitats around the reservoir, Mr Michel said: "It's not something you like to think about too much. Obviously around here we've got plenty of non-native trees and saplings around which we'd be deeply concerned about because they were specially selected and sourced as well."And just from a wildlife point of view, any open fire that goes out of control in an area like this would invariably destroy a lot of the wildlife."

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