Cumbrian firefighters will soon be employing wildland fire-fighting techniques developed in the hills of Catalonia.
Despite the wet start to this year's summer, the long-term trend of hot summers and dry winters means the risk of moorland fires in Cumbria is never far away. Serious wildfires can leave countryside blackened and devoid of wildlife for decades.
Now a ground-breaking international partnership stretching from the Cumbrian fells to the rugged hills of Catalonia is helping to shape the way moorland fires in the county are fought in the future.
Catalonia's team of specialist wildfire firefighters attend around 1,000 fires in the country each year and are world-renowned for their innovative techniques.
Working with colleagues from Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service, Cumbrian firefighters are learning from their Catalonian counterparts and perfecting new offensive fire fighting skills designed to stop moorland fires in their tracks.
These new techniques include setting smaller fires in the path of larger wildfires to create substantial fire breaks.
In addition to these new firefighting skills, the county's Fire and Rescue Service is also investing in eight new all-terrain vehicles which will be better equipped to reach isolated fell fires. These new vehicles will be equipped with special low-pressure water fogging systems which are particularly effective at fighting wildfires.
The county's firefighters have also created a Cumbria Wildfire Group which will draw on the expert knowledge of forestry, workers land managers, gamekeepers and estate workers in preventing and combating wildfires across Cumbria. This new group meets for the first time in Penrith next Tuesday (24 July).
Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service Group Manager Duncan Taylor, the county's lead person on the European partnership, said: "This unique partnership is helping us to be better prepared to tackle wildfires in Cumbria which pose huge potential risks to rural livelihoods, fragile habitats and the firefighters who tackle them.
"The formation of a Cumbrian Fire Group will be particularly important in drawing on expert local knowledge of the land to create effective plans to predict and combat wildfires in different parts of the county.
"Investment by the county council in new vehicles and water fogging systems will also mean we can more effectively reach and tackle fires in remote rural locations."
The Fire and Rescue Service asks people to take the following simple steps to help prevent wildfires:
. Never light fires on moorland - not even gas stoves or barbecues;
. Dispose of litter carefully, especially cigarette ends, matches and glass bottles;
. During periods of high and exceptional fire risk respect all warning signs;
. Please report immediately any fires seen on moorland to the Fire and Rescue Service, and if possible, the nearest dwelling.
ENDS
Media enquiries to Mark Graham, Media Officer on 01228-606337
Notes
The image (jpeg) shows Catalonian firefighters demonstrating tactical burning techniques to Cumbrian firefighters during a visit to the UK.