21/7/2009 - Fighting wildfire with fire...education

A group launched to tackle the threat of wildfires is stepping up the fight against countryside blazes.

The Cumbria Wildfire Group, formed by various partners including Cumbria County Council, Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service, the Lake District National Park Authority and the Forestry Commission, has been in operation for just over a year.

Now summer is here –the peak time for wildfires –the group is highlighting the training and advice it offers to its members including landowners, land managers and mountain rescue teams to minimise the risk of fires, and new members are being urged to come forward and get involved.

With global warming and greater use of the countryside for recreational activities, the threat of wildfires continues to increase.

Over the past decade the number of wildfires in Cumbria has doubled. 

So to counteract this threat, training has become a key element of the group’s activities, with the Basic Wildfire Fighting course covering the principles of fire behaviour, fire fighting techniques, health and safety and a section by the Fire and Rescue Service on its operating procedures.

A standard fire plan has also been distributed to group members to allow for a more effective response by land managers and the Fire and Rescue Service to wildfires on both publicly and privately owned land.

The group’s project officer, Ethan Bigelow, said: "Cumbria Wildfire Group is engaged in vital work to protect the county from potentially disastrous wildfires.

"Through educating and informing our members we are reducing the risk of blazes breaking out and teaching people about tackling them as quickly and effectively as possible if they do occur.

"Our work is especially important during the summer months when hot, dry weather increases the chance of fires, so we’d be keen to hear from new members who want to get involved."

The battle against wildfires has also been boosted by a fleet of eight specially modified Land Rovers that have joined Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service.

The Land Rovers form part of a package of new equipment and training to place Cumbria at the forefront of wildfire response capability in the UK - reducing the risk to the county’s sensitive landscapes and the lives of firefighters.

For more information or to get involved with the Cumbria Wildfire Group, contact Ethan Bigelow on 01670 513292.

ENDS

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