Issued by the Surrey Nature Partnership
The Surrey Nature Partnership, a coalition of leading land managers and conservation organisations, has come together with Surrey Fire and Rescue Service to issue a stark warning on outdoor fire safety this summer – but says that simple steps can go a long way towards keeping our countryside safe.
Increasing temperatures and dry conditions caused by a warming climate are putting our green spaces, including internationally significant heathlands like Chobham Common, Hankley Common and Blackheath Common, which are home to rare wildlife including ground-nesting birds like Nightjars and Dartford Warblers, at high risk of fire this summer. Most wildfires in Surrey are caused by human activity and are preventable. But everyone can do their bit to keep wildlife, people and property safe.
The Surrey Nature Partnership represents organisations including: Surrey Wildlife Trust, Surrey County Council, Forestry Commission, The Woodland Trust, National Trust, Thames Basin Heaths Partnership and Surrey Hills National Landscape among others, is asking people to:
- Swap BBQs for picnics. Do not use disposable barbeques, open fires or camping stoves on Surrey’s heathlands and grasslands. It’s far safer to take a picnic.
- Dispose of all smoking equipment safely when outdoors and leave nothing behind.
- Take all and any litter home or use litter bins where appropriate. All litter can harm wildlife or pose a fire risk.
If you see a fire:
- Report any fires quickly – do not assume it has been reported.
- Call 999 and ask for the Fire Service – share as much information as you can.
- Do not attempt to tackle it yourself. Move to a safe distance and follow emergency advice.
Wildfires have been an increasing problem for Surrey’s wildlife reserves in recent years, with blazes causing damage on Chobham Common, Whitmoor Common and Barossa to name just three sites. In 2022, a huge fire caused 500 hectares of damage to Pirbright Ranges, a vital site for rare wildlife which could take more than a decade to recover. If more than one fire of comparable size took place simultaneously, the results could be catastrophic for wildlife, people and property.
James Herd, Director of Reserves Management at Surrey Wildlife Trust, says:
"In 2022 alone, more than 1,000 hectares* of the 5,000 hectares managed by the trust was damaged by fires. That risk will undoubtedly be made worse as our climate becomes increasingly Mediterranean due to climate change.
Anyone who visits an outdoor space has a heightened responsibility to prevent them falling victim to fires – which can cause immense harm to natural ecosystems and take weeks to put out.
Several fires have already hit parts of Surrey so far this year, including at Hankley Common near Godalming and Blackheath Common near Guildford, and with extreme temperatures already affecting Surrey in the recent heatwave, now is the time for extra vigilance."
*For scale 1000 hectares is about the size of 1400 Premier League football pitches, and a quarter of Surrey – *422km2 is approximately 59,000 Premier League football pitches.
The organisations issuing today’s warning as part of Surrey Nature Partnership are:
Forestry Commission
Guildford Borough Council
Surrey County Council
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service
Surrey Hills National Landscape
Surrey Nature Partnership
Surrey Wildlife Trust
Thames Basin Heaths Partnership
The National Trust
The Woodland Trust
West Horsley Place Trust