Chief fears lives will be lost in future wildfires

A senior fire chief has warned lives could be lost in future wildfires - and that the devastating blaze which destroyed homes in Stourbridge could just as easily have happened in Herefordshire or Worcestershire.

Dave Swallow, group commander at Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, said he fully expected the UK to see similar scenes again.

Nineteen homes were destroyed when fire swept through Stourbridge on the hottest day of the year in August, while another blaze in Pershore left two families homeless.

"My biggest concern at the moment is that at some point we're going to lose lives," he said.

Swallow was speaking two months after devastating fires and on the same day a BBC documentary airs featuring new eyewitness accounts and shocking footage.

Swallow said his "takeaway" from the summer was that people should take extra precautions in future as climate change pointed towards hot summers becoming more frequent.

"Have a look at what you've got going around your property," he said.

"Look for example at the stuff you've got outside, so whether it's tables, chairs, if they're plastic or wood or whatever, they all become fuel in a wildfire.

"Think about where they are in relation to your property and do what you can to minimise that risk."

He also told the BBC he expected the scenes in Stourbridge to be repeated in the future, and could easily have been replicated in either county the service covers over the summer.

"I hate to say, but I'm sure we'll see similar scenes again at some point in the future."

Swallow has also called for "danger rating system" similar to Australia.

The Australian Fire Danger Rating System calculates the potential severity of a bushfire if one were to start, based on forecast weather, vegetation types and fuel.

Swallow has been using his role on the National Fire Chiefs Council to lobby for the system to be replicated in the UK, a move which would require government legislation.

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