UK preparing for wildfires similar to France and Spain, minister says
The government is preparing for bushfires in Britain similar to those in France and Spain this summer, a minister has confirmed.
Fires have wreaked havoc across mainland Europe this week; 220,000 people were forced from their homes in southwestern France and 116,000 were evacuated from Spain.
Nearly 42,000 hectares of land burned in southwestern France in one of the largest forest fires since the Second World War. Approximately 98,000 hectares of land have been burned since the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, approximately 70,000 hectares of land burned in Spain this year.
Asked whether the UK was preparing for similar events, intergovernmental relations minister Hamish Falconer told Sky News: “Obviously there are wildfires in Scotland as well and we are in contact with the Scottish government about the support the British government can provide.
“But yes, we are preparing and we know we need to go further. These are incredibly worrying scenes in Bordeaux and Spain.”
“I think the Spanish government has made it clear that they think the increasing severity of bushfires that they are facing is a consequence of human-caused climate change, and we need to take those warnings very seriously indeed.”
It comes as emergency services brace themselves for more wildfires as Britain’s fourth heatwave of the summer approaches.
Temperatures dropped, winds picked up and a small amount of rain fell for many over the weekend, but parts of southern England will meet heatwave criteria once again on Wednesday, with temperatures that could reach 32C or 33C, rising even more on Thursday.
A yellow temperature alert has been issued for the East and West Midlands, the south-east, south-west and east of England, as well as Yorkshire and the Humber, from 9am on Tuesday until 9am on Friday.
Emergency crews spent days battling huge fires in Wales and Scotland that forced people to evacuate from their homes.
Over the weekend, Scottish first minister John Swinney confirmed that “military assistance in air support” had been called in to fight a raging blaze in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park, which saw more than 500 firefighters battle the blaze for its 10th day.
In mid-July, at the height of the third heatwave, firefighters were battling 19 significant bushfires simultaneously in England and Wales.
Meanwhile, a Met Office meteorologist said heatwave thresholds in the UK should be adjusted to take into account the warming climate, which has seen temperature records broken repeatedly this year.
A spokesman for the National Fire Chiefs’ Council (NFCC) said: “With the Met Office warning that a fourth heatwave could develop this week, bringing another period of very hot weather to parts of the UK, fire and rescue services remain vigilant and continue to prepare for the renewed risk of bushfires.”
Experts added that fighting nearly 20 bushfires simultaneously showed “the scale of the challenge posed by prolonged hot and dry conditions.”
“Most bushfires are preventable and we are asking everyone to do their part to help protect our communities, wildlife and natural areas, while relieving the pressure on firefighters facing an exceptionally challenging summer.”
