U.K. To Set Up New Mediterranean-Style Specialist Units To Tackle Wildfires

Firefighters will deploy new techniques learnt in the world’s worst wildfire hotspots as extreme weather raises the risk level in the UK this summer.

Last year’s heatwaves saw thousands of fires break out, with one destroying homes at Wennington, east London.

This year has already seen hundreds of grass fires and one of the UK’s largest ever has been burning near Cannich in Scotland for the past two weeks.

More fire crews are now training in skills from southern Europe and the US.

Fire chiefs are particularly looking to expand the number of specialist teams trained in “burn suppression” techniques – the deliberate burning of land to keep a fire contained.

At the moment, just five UK units across more than 50 fire and rescue services specialise in the “fighting fire with fire” technique, mostly in moorland areas.

With more than 90 buildings destroyed by wildfires close to urban areas last July, more units – including those in services that straddle urban and rural areas – would be trained in new ways of wildfire fighting.

A volunteer walks Frensham Common, near Farnham, Surrey, hunting for reptiles that survived the fire

They could then be deployed nationally, in the event of a significant fire.

It is hoped a UK-wide training programme will be set up as part of a national action plan drawn up in response to the lessons learnt from last year’s blazes.

One of the services leading the way is Surrey Fire and Rescue, which has already dealt with more than 80 wildfires this year.

The most recent wildfire was last month at Frensham Common, near Farnham, a popular beauty spot.

The cause of the 10-hectare fire is not yet known – but the damage is clear to see.