Fire crews facing 'non-stop' heatwave demand

5 hours ago

Amanda WhiteEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

News image — David Lynch says firefighters have been facing "difficult conditions" during wildfires caused by the recent heatwave

BBC David Lynch from Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue stands next to a lake surrounded by trees. He has greying hair and is wearing a white shirt with badge embroidered on the front. — David Lynch says firefighters have been facing "difficult conditions" during wildfires caused by the recent heatwave

A fire service has urged people to think about risks in hot, dry weather after a spate of wildfires.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service has asked people to be careful when smoking cigarettes, to not light fires and barbecues unless they are in a proper area and to dispose of litter at home.

David Lynch, head of prevention and protection, said the dry conditions had created big problems for firefighters.

"We're pretty much non-stop at the moment with wildfires of varying sizes... and it looks like it's going to continue for some time," he said.

Kevin Ellis Flames and thick grey smoke rise from a fire burning across a field. Several pockets of fire are visible along the field edge, with dense smoke billowing upwards across the sky. — Humberside Fire and Rescue Service was called to a field fire at West Cowick, East Yorkshire, on Tuesday

Lynch added: "Things such as glass bottles can cause significant issues in wild areas, certainly with this heat.

"They'll magnify the sun on to vegetation and very quickly we can have a fire."

Lynch also said recent weather conditions had placed extra strain on firefighters with some having to carry equipment across fields that were otherwise inaccessible to fire engines.

Other issues faced by the service included access to water and the heat from wearing heavy safety clothing.

"The conditions are really difficult for our crews. They're very arduous jobs, the fires spread very quickly and we have to get ahead of them," he added.

"We wear all of our PPE so you imagine firefighting in normal conditions is hot. In these conditions the crews are working exceptionally hard."

A large fire at Wigtoft, near Boston, had been caused by an "unattended, controlled burn"

The Met Office's Fire Severity Index, which assesses how bad a fire could become if one were to start, has rated East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire as being a "very high" risk with some parts in the "exceptional" category.

Humberside Fire and Rescue Service logged 17 grass or field-based fires on Monday and Tuesday.

The incidents included a "major blaze" at a commercial property in Scunthorpe, farm-based fires at Westbeck Hill, Warter, and another at Long Lane, Pollington. Crews were also called to a field fire in West Cowick.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service was also called out to a fire at a workshop and field in Wigtoft, near Boston, on Monday.

The service later issued a plea asking people not to carry out "controlled burns under any circumstances" and said the "risk of fires spreading and growing out of control was significantly heightened".

Listen to highlights from Hull and East YorkshireorLincolnshireon BBC Sounds, watch thelatest episode of Look North.

Download the BBC News app from the App Storefor iPhone and iPad orGoogle Play for Android devices