In the dry weather, you need to be extra careful on open access land. The peat underneath is a source of fuel, and could set alight! It is then really difficult to put out. Afterwards, the land can be left blackened, the wildlife suffers, as the access rights aren't as enjoyable any more!
Please be careful with your litter, especially cigarette ends and bits of broken glass. Also, open access rights don't include barbeque rights! If you notice a fire smouldering away, please ring 999 and report it.
The open access rights are automatically closed if the fire risk reaches 'exceptional'. The Met Office assess the 'fire severity index' on a scale of 1-5. Level 5 means an automatic closure for most of the sensitive Pennine areas for the duration of the dry weather. There is a website link included here for more information about the fire severity index and how to see maps. If you are experiencing difficulties, please phone Cumbria County Council for more advice.
There are some notices for land managers to download here. These can be stuck on gates and other access points leading to open access land. The orange notice is to correspond with 'level 4' (high fire risk) and the red notice is to correspond with 'level 5' (exceptional fire risk - access land closed). We also have these in the office, laminated, please telephone if you would like these posted to you instead.