ISLANDERS are being urged to take extra care when disposing of barbecues as ‘tinderbox conditions have created a potential cauldron’ threatening vegetation, wildlife and beauty spots in the Island, the fire chief has said.
Firefighters tackled a large blaze on La Pulente headland on Sunday evening, which Jersey Fire and Rescue commander Paul McGrath said could potentially have been ‘one of the biggest fires in Jersey for years’ had it not been for the quick response.
Meanwhile, Jersey Water is urging Islanders to save water wherever they can as the prolonged spell of dry weather has forced the company to run the desalination plant.
Mr McGrath said: ‘It’s a cauldron for wildfires now, we’ve had a lovely summer so far but the downside is we’ve got brown patches of grass which are tinder dry. It’s going to continue to get hotter and the ground will be even drier in the coming week, making any spark ignite more quickly, spread faster and soon become much harder for us to put out.
‘We’re not the fun police. We want people to really enjoy their summer at the beach. But vegetation doesn’t just burst into flames on its own, it’s generally because of human intervention, so we’re basically asking people to be extra vigilant when having a barbecue – make sure you extinguish it properly and that it is completely cool before disposing of it in a bin nearby. If you’re going to do it, do it safely and responsibly.’
Dozens of calls came into the control room on Sunday night at around 9pm and the first fire engine arrived within minutes, positioning itself between the fire and the houses, to stop the blaze from spreading. Two more appliances, a water carrier and 15 firefighters then battled through to the early hours to stop the blaze.
Mr McGrath said: ‘We don’t know when this dry spell will end and we are just asking people to be mindful – think of the impact your one little action might have on the wildlife as well as the cost in terms of water, damage to the landscape and the fear factor for people living near by.’
Barbara Webster, who lives next to the beach at St Ouen’s Bay, said barbecues on the grassland near her home were causing alarm among residents living close to the dunes.
She said: ‘I could smell smoke on the weekend and when I looked out of my window and saw lots of smoke going up from the bunker near my house, I was very frightened because it was so close. With the tinder-dry grass, the heat and the wind I thought one spark and the house is gone.’
Mrs Webster urged people thinking of having a barbecue to go a few more steps down onto the beach to reduce the chance of starting a grass fire.
In 2019, a furze fire ripped through a 2,500sq-m section of headland near L’Etacq, coming within about 100 metres of some properties.
During last month’s heatwave, dozens of fires caught hold across the UK, while the UK government is currently attempting to recruit thousands more firefighters to tackle the spike in the number of blazes being seen across the country.
