Firing ban at military training zone during hot spell

Firing in some areas of a military training zone has been suspended by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) during the current hot weather to reduce the risk of wildfires.

It comes after a fire on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, which was started accidentally, had to be left to burn out by itself because of its location in the Range Danger Area which could be filled with unexploded devices.

The MoD said there had been 14 fires on Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) so far this year including "minor instances".

"The MoD has a robust wildfire policy that restricts the use of some ordnance, munitions, and explosives when training is taking place during elevated wildfire conditions," a spokesperson added.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said the recent fire spread to nearby farmland before burning out on its own on Saturday.

It said it was called to a fire involving farmland "adjacent" to the initial fire on Salisbury Plain at about 12:04 BST on Friday.

The original fire was located in a Range Danger Area, or Impact Zone, in the heart of the SPTA.

These areas contain a number of hazards and are not safe for civilians to enter.

The MoD takes precautions to prevent fires, including working with farmers to keep grass short during the summer, ammunition bans during dry conditions and fire watch schemes.

"Following this fire and ahead of another period of hot weather, we have suspended all firing into the Impact Area, and heavily restricted firing elsewhere across the training area to minimise the risk of wildfires," an MoD spokesperson said.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation - an operating arm of the MoD - said: "We monitor the risk of fires across the training estate all year round, working hard to maintain a balance between the operational training requirements of our armed forces and the local communities in which we sit

"We take our role in trying to prevent and control fires from our activities extremely seriously."

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