Hot, dry weather prompts fire service warning

OXFORDSHIRE Fire Service is warning people to take extra care with outdoor fires during this hot, dry spell of weather, after they were called to an incident at Bernwood Forest, Oakley, near Thame, yesterday.

Image courtesy of photographer Simon Jones and Brill Firefighters (For illustrative purposes only)

When crews arrived at 08:30 am to the scene, the fire appeared to be almost extinguished but after further investigations by crews it was found to be burning well under a dense layer forest grassland. Crews acted quickly to uncover the extent of the fire by cutting away the surrounding vegatation and used a hose reel jet to extinguish the fire before it spread any further.

Incident Commander, Crew Manager Dan Shepherd said, “When crews arrived we were faced with a fire that was well developed, but was difficult to see due to the surrounding vegetation. Luckily a passer-by saw small amounts of smoke and acted quickly calling the fire service otherwise we could’ve faced a much larger incident and a rapidly developing fire, with lots of fuel around it, in what is a protected nature reserve. We believe this was caused by a camp fire left unattended.

He added: “Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that extra care should be taken when having outdoor fires, especially during summer heatwaves. Some local areas have specific campfire areas and these should always be used. Care should also be taken when disposing BBQ’s and members of the public should make sure these are fully extinguished and cold before throwing them away or leaving them unattended.”