Wildfire Starts Early

[Messyshaw]

A couple of days after Earth Day, a major incident is declared for an April wildlife fire in Northern Ireland

Not evidence of global warming on its own perhaps, but its very early in the year.

Let's hope everyone stays safe.

BBC News - Slieve Donard: 'Major incident' declared as Mourne fires continue

[Carl]

Yes, we have had them already this week and a couple with 6 or more pumps. Could be a long summer if the weather is good.

[Keith]

On 24/04/2021 at 17:59, Messyshaw said:

Not evidence of global warming on its own perhaps, but its very early in the year.

More to do with how one of the Ministers visiting the scene commented, wildfires were "rarely natural" and were almost always started "either deliberately or by reckless burning of flammable vegetation or material". Also with the timing you do get an early wave of these in spring when with growth not having started, all the vegetation that has died of over the winter is tinderbox dry. When you start getting the fresh green grass coming through it gives a bit of a break.

Hard to understand the behaviour of some people, who don't get that taking a portable barbeque when they go camping or on a picnic to these areas of natural beauty mightn't be the wisest idea.

On the other hand you get the generosity and support of the local community. The amount of food that was delivered to the incident by local people and business was amazing. One of the best was from these children that raised over £3000 through a crowd funding page. 😃

 

[Carl]

We currently have one on the go on Marsden Moor. Live details can be found here.

[Becile]

Yep, as usual we've had a few.

@MessyshawNot early at all for wildfire season is at least April to September, if not longer,it generally kicks off easter onwards(true to form this year

Hankley common

The fsi for our county and many others has been on 4 for a while now  and we have invoked our summer strategy from last weekend.If you want to check your location for the fsi, here's the link.

FSI

[Becile]

Another one yesterday...still damping down today

[Healdav]

In Spain there used to be wildfires all the time. Then they passed a law saying that any ground burnt could no be sold for building land for ten years. The fires stopped!

In France some years ago there was a massive fire on the Cote d'Azur. They discovered that the fore was arson and caught the bloke. Ten days later, he was out on bail and was caught lighting a fire next to the motorway. He explained that he wanted to get cars to stop so that he could hitch a lift! He's still inside.

I see that the fire on Dartmoor has been declared arson.

[Mx19]

We used to call it “spring dip” doing wildfire in Canada, usually once the snows melted to reveal all the dry dead vegetation below makes for an early start to fire season!