Plea to not light bonfires

Warwickshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service are asking people not to light bonfires or use disposable BBQ's.

It's following a number of incidents over the weekend where crews have been called to deal with bonfires that have got out of control. 

They're also urging residents not to have fires in woodland areas or parks areas, where the ground is extremely dry. They have said in these conditions, fires can spread rapidly causing devastation for both local communities and wildlife.

Group Commander and Fire Prevention Lead for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Tim Sargent said: “With the dryer ground and the potential devastation woodland fires can cause, please do not have a bonfire in the woods or use disposable BBQ's.
“Our firefighters have been extremely busy over the weekend dealing with bonfires that have got out of control or been left unattended. It's just beyond irresponsible to leave fires like this unattended or to have them in the woods in the first place. We have been lucky so far that we haven't had to deal with fires like the ones on the Lancashire Moorlands, but it won't be long before we have to if people continue to light fires in woodland areas. Please help us to ensure that our firefighters are available for life risk incidents and not dealing with fires that are completely avoidable.”

Talking about the fires, Councillor Andy Crump, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Fire and Rescue and Community Safety said: “Our priority is as always to protect the communities of Warwickshire. Woodland fires can be devastating and can cause untold damage, not just to the immediate area, but also to the wildlife living in that area. To have a fire like the ones in Lancashire could be devastating and we really don’t want to be in a situation where our communities are affected in this way. So please follow the advice of the fire and rescue service and do not light bonfires in woodland or open spaces or use disposable BBQ’s.”