People told to take picnics instead of BBQs to outdoor areas amid wildfire risk

• Mel Bloor spoke to RSPB Farnham about how visitors can do their bit to prevent wildfires.

This summer, sausage rolls and cold sandwiches are in but barbecues and campfires are not...that's at least the hope of firefighters and wildlife groups who are concerned about the risk of wildfires to the countryside.

The last few years has seen fire devastate land and the nature that lives on it, with the Met Office recording 2023 as the world's hottest year on record.

Nightjars and smooth snakes were killed following two wildfire at Frensham and Thursley Commons in Surrey.

It's led to a joint up warning from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

Cooking outdoors only increases the chance of fires starting with the dryness of the land making areas like Wareham Heath in Dorset more susceptible to incidents.

Charlie Pack from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said, "Wildfires can ravage the local wildlife, destroying ecosystems in a matter of hours that have taken years to build up.

"Every heath fire starts with human intervention, whether that’s carelessness or a deliberate act, so we need everyone who enjoys our beautiful open spaces to work with us to help protect them."

Across Dorset the RSPB manages over 850 hectares of heathland.

RSPB Arne nature reserve and the wider Purbeck heathland provides a home for a unique mix of wildlife with Woodlark, Nightjar and Skylark among the birds which nest on the ground.

Native reptiles like the endangered and rare Ladybird Spiders need the heathland to survive and thrive.

RSPB Dorset Visitor Operations Manager Lesley Gorman said, "We are really grateful for the care and caution that most of our visitors take when exploring our Dorset nature reserves and wider countryside.

"However, fires can be started by items that people wouldn’t even consider a risk. The use of disposable barbecues is not allowed at RSPB sites as they are an obvious fire risk for green spaces, but even a glass drinks bottle left in dry heather, grasses or leaves can start a fire on a sunny day. And a discarded cigarette-end can quickly turn into a blaze.

"All it takes is a gust of wind to carry the spark a short distance to the dry and highly flammable heathland vegetation.

"Depending on the remoteness of the location, it can be really challenging for our local fire service to reach the area easily."

Even areas from the beach are at risk from outdoor fires with incidents in the past starting from embers which jump from the sand to the vegetation.

Firefighters also say that disposable barbecues can still cause a risk even if people think they've cooled them down.

Mark Crisp a Warden at RSPB Farnham Heath, Surrey said, "We are really grateful for the care and caution that most of our visitors take when exploring Farnham Heath and the wider Surrey countryside.

"However, fires can be started by items that people wouldn’t even consider a risk. The use of disposable barbecues are not allowed at RSPB sites as they are an obvious fire risk for green spaces, but even a glass drinks bottle left in dry heather, grasses or leaves can start a fire on a sunny day. And a discarded cigarette-end can quickly turn into a blaze."

Charlie added, "Seemingly extinguished bonfires and barbecues often pose a continued risk of causing wildfires.

"Residual heat and embers can cause hidden smouldering fires underground, sometimes for a number of days, before spreading to surface vegetation.

"These unseen fires can be particularly challenging for firefighters to detect and can easily spread unnoticed. It’s another reason that we ask people to bring a picnic not a barbecue."

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