Guardians of England’s largest forests face severe challenges from “Mediterranean-style fire weather” if blazes erupt, a senior adviser has warned.
Rob Gazzard, who advises the Forestry Commission on wildfires, stated that “extreme scenarios are going to be very challenging” for the organisation.
The warning coincides with a Met Office red alert for “extreme heat” across parts of England and Wales on Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures forecast to reach 39C or higher.
This covers major cities like London, Cardiff, and Birmingham, as well as rural areas including the Chiltern Hills, Cotswolds, and Forest of Dean.
Speaking to the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Mr Gazzard noted that around 97 per cent to 99 per cent of wildfires are “roughly under a hectare,” typically contained by firefighters, a lack of fuel, and weather conditions.
But some fires are larger, such as the Fylingdales Moor and Langdale blaze last year.
At its peak, the conflagration affected 25 square kilometres – almost 10 square miles – of moorland and forestry in North Yorkshire.
“If we had multiple ones of those, it becomes a capacity issue,” Mr Gazzard said.
“Finally, we have these extreme wildfire scenarios, 19 July 2022, Mediterranean weather – the same fire weather as Spain and Portugal, which we’re going to be experiencing this week.
“And those extreme scenarios are going to be very challenging to us.
“In essence, it might challenge our capabilities and our capacity.”
More than 800 wildfires were recorded on 12 July 2022, when the mercury hit 40.3C at Coningsby in Lincolnshire.
London Fire Brigade alone responded to 106 fires, including 59 grassland, woodland and crop blazes.
At Wennington in east London, 16 homes were destroyed.
Mr Gazzard said “the big resource draw” on the Forestry Commission was around making sure “small fires did not become big fires”, based on analysis of data from the “really challenging” season in 2018.
The select committee also heard from National Fire Chiefs Council chairman Phil Garrigan.
He suggested a “rating system for fire risk” could be used to restrict activities in wildfire-prone places, which could include disposable barbecue bans or, in extreme cases, “restrictions around movement of people”.
Describing how his suggestion would work, Mr Garrigan said: “We would go to areas – defined areas – and identify the high risk of fire and significant vulnerability, and as a result of that, in that defined area, there would be a number of restrictions that would follow.”
Committee member Barry Gardiner, the Labour MP for Brent West, said: “That depends presumably on making sure that people are aware of that.
“And I know that electronic road signage has been used that can say, ‘you’re now entering an area of heightened risk and these controls are in place’.
“Is that something that this committee should be talking about recommending?”
Mr Garrigan replied: “Yes.”
