Take extra care

Blackstone Edge ablaze

As the current warm weather is forecast to continue and spring turns into summer many people will be heading out into the countryside to enjoy the weather. Greater Manchester’s Fire Control Operators and Firefighters, who answer and respond to the 999 calls, are preparing to deal with the increase in grass and moorland fires they see at this time of the year.

Assistant County Fire Officer Tony Ciaramella said, “At this time of year any period of dry and sunny weather can result in higher numbers of grass fires, which have the potential to develop into large scale incidents. This can result in Firefighters and Control Operators dealing with large numbers of incidents and having to prioritise those calls which are of risk to life and property.

Please bear this in mind when on moorland or grassland and take extra care with anything which may cause a fire. It is too easy to attribute all these types of fire to the dry conditions we see at various times of the year - the fact is that some of these fires are started deliberately. As a consequence fire crews are needlessly tied up at minor incidents which could cause a delay in crews attending a real emergency where lives and property are in danger. Parents should warn their children of the dangers of starting these types of fire.”

Sean Prendergast, from the Peak District National Park Ranger Service said “We really welcome Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service raising this issue, particularly at this sensitive time. We want to appeal to people to take extra care not to smoke, light fires, or throw cigarette butts out of car windows. It only takes one spark to cause a devastating blaze, from which the moorland habitats and wildlife take years to recover.”

By following some simple advice the public can help protect the countryside for everyone’s enjoyment, and help ensure Greater Manchester’s Firefighters are available for real emergencies.

• Be extra careful when discarding cigarettes or matches or anything else that may cause a fire in vegetation. 
• Be especially careful if you’re having a barbeque; make sure you extinguish the coals completely before you discard them – in a proper bin or container.
• Don’t be tempted to have an open fire in the countryside – small fires quickly get out of control and can cause widespread devastation. 
• Mum’s and Dad’s – remember to keep matches and lighters away from children- deliberate fires can quickly become large scale incidents in these conditions – and could delay fire fighters from attending a real emergency where lives are at risk. 
• Visit www.safe4spring.com