Jersey's wildfire threat 'has not disappeared'

Jersey's fire service is urging islanders not to become complacent, after an open land fire broke out near the desalination plant at Corbiere.

18 firefighters were called out with four hose jets to bring the blaze under control yesterday evening (24 August), after receiving between 20 and 30 calls from the public.

It was caused by a bonfire that spread rapidly because of strong winds.

Jersey remains at 'extreme' risk of wildfire after a record-breaking summer that has seen five official heatwaves, a high of 39.3°C, and long periods of drought.

Station Commander Chris Smith, Head of Fire Prevention, said:

"It's resource-intensive. We had 18 fire and rescue service personnel turn up to that incident. Combined with that wind, fires can spread rapidly and that combined with the typography around there, it was that perfect storm where it can spread rapidly.

"Any embers from bonfires, anything like that, can amplify that.

"In periods of dry and hot weather, we really advise against lighting bonfires and don't be led into that false sense of security whereby (with) a bit of rain, (you) may think it's OK to light a fire.

"With those high winds, particularly that tinder-dry ground, fires can spread rapidly, and it can impact houses, it was close to the desalination plant.

"It's a bit of luck in there the fact that we had additional crews on station from a previous incident earlier in the day that we were able to respond with the number of crew we did, otherwise we'd have had a reduced number and it could have been a different outcome."

Firefighters took part in specialist wildfire training at the former Oaklands Hotel site earlier this month.

Led by Crew Commander Harry Matthews, White Watch learnt about the threat of 'fire tornados', how quickly wildfires can develop and spread, and the influence of vegetation, such as gorse, to fuel the blaze.

A fan was used to recreate wind conditions and demonstrate how they can influence the spread of a wildfire

The training is usually done annually, but has increased because of the warmer and drier weather increasing the wildfire threat.

If anyone has a barbecue, the advice is to avoid setting it up near vegetation and to make sure coals, ashes, and the ground beneath are fully extinguished and cooled.

It's also advised to pour water over the area, never dispose of hot ashes in bins, avoid smoking, and never leave cigarette ends or glass bottles behind.

What to do if you see a wildfire:

• Call the Fire and Rescue Service immediately on 999. 
• Identify your location by using the ‘What 3 Words’ app or with local landmarks. 
• Do not attempt to tackle the fire unless it can be safely extinguished with a bucket of water. 
• Move to a safe area away from the fire.