29th May 2012
One year on from England’s biggest wildfire that burnt 6 km2 of precious moorland, Lancashire now has its very own Fire Operations Group. To mark its formation, the group held a massive moorland training exercise on Bleasdale Fell in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
A kilometre or more of fire hose was laid from a water source in the valley to reach as far as possible up the fell-side, where it filled a series of temporary holding tanks to supply water to where it was needed. 100 personnel and over 20 vehicles were involved in the exercise including; Pennine Helicopters, Bay Search and Rescue’s Hagglund, six fire engines, 10 adapted 4×4 Landrovers, a 6×6 Polaris, Centaur, argocat and soft rack vehicles with fire fogging equipment, as well as control units giving GPS support.
Whether deliberate or accidental, every wildfire is started by a human and prevention is far better than cure. However, the prospect of a fire high up on remote moorland, served only by rough, steep hill tracks, poses significant problems to traditional fire-fighting equipment and techniques. The training of personnel in moorland fire-fighting techniques alongside experienced moorland gamekeepers, and the trial of specialist all-terrain vehicles and especially adapted kit is essential to quickly reach and put out the devastating fires
Members of the Moorland Association manage 90% of heather moorland remaining in England and Jeremy Duckworth, the Moorland Association’s Lancashire representative and owner of Bleasdale Fell adds,
“Three quarters of the world’s remaining heather moorland is found here in Britain. It is rarer than rainforest and highly protected because of all the special plants and animals that it supports largely thanks to grouse moor management. The moor has outstanding natural beauty and helps attract thousands of visitors a year to Bowland which in turn pumps vital money into our remote rural economy. Wildfire can destroy all of this in a matter of hours devastating important ground nesting birds, livelihoods and our treasured landscape. We applaud Lancashire Fire and Rescue’s new campaign to help prevent moorland fires and are very glad to be able to facilitate their training to put out fires as quickly as possible should the worst happen. ”
Station Manager Shaun Walton, Service Delivery Manager for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and the originator of the event said: “Preventing wildfires by education and proactive intervention is a much more effective strategy than responding to a fire, but when a wildfire does occur Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has invested in equipment and the development of operational tactics to ensure that we extinguish it in the shortest possible time.”
“We have set up the Lancashire Fire Operations Group comprised of key stakeholders including land owners, land managers, voluntary rescue organisations and the five Fire and Rescue Services that border Lancashire. By pooling our resources and expertise, more effective prevention and, where necessary, operational responses are ensured.”
Last year, at Anglezarke moor near Bolton, 1000 fire-fighters and 60 fire engines attended the week-long fire that cost £1 million to put out. A combination of hot, dry weather and continuous and strong prevailing winds brought a fifty-foot-high and rapidly advancing wall of flame and smoke along a four-kilometre flame front. 2000 acres of heather was destroyed along with ground nesting birds and their chicks.
