Wildfires - when will they end?

[NervousSheepy]

Is anyone else feeling incredibly saddened and concerned about the continuing wildfires? They seem to be increasing in number and scale around the country and there is no rain on the horizon.

We have none in our immediate vicinity at the moment, but our home is next to a forest and in some ways it feels like we are all holding our breath and waiting for the dry ground around us to ignite. We can sometimes smell the smoke in the air. I feel so incredibly sad for those who have already lost everything. The fires seem relentless and the fire brigade and farmers seem to be doing an amazing job, but struggling to get them under control.

Anyone?

They will end when we get a decent amount of rainful.

The dry 2 months have made the grass, trees, and ground perfect kindling, making fire spread very easily and very fast. Things like mirrors reflecting sun from bathroom windows, abandoned cigarettes vape and phone batteries exploding are causing small fires that are spreading quickly.

There are day-drinkers/hostel dwellers in our area that are still lighting fires. They do not seem to care 😡

I know, the grass around us just looks so dry, it would burn extremely easily. I don't understand how some people don't have the common sense to avoid things that could cause more fires. There was a forestry reminder put out again yesterday after someone had used a disposable bbq on a picnic bench and the whole bench table was gone. Luckily, someone nearby managed to put it out before it spread to the trees or a lot of the forest would now be burning. Feels like a waiting game to see where the next one will be.

I'm feeling more and more angry towards the people starting these fires through stupidity and carelessness. Last night was so hot but we had to keep all the windows shut because of the smoke. It's still too smoky this morning to open them and let any fresh air in. I could cry.

But yes, also can't bear thinking about the animals suffering out there, the wild ones and the farmed ones who are stuck in fields not able to escape the fires or the smoke. Humans really are a blight on the world.

Lack of education. Most people these days don't actually have an experience of fire, even in the home.
I would suspect there are a lot of adults now who have never really been around fire, even candles are LED. So they get to adulthood and are clueless.

It's awful the devastation they're causing to wildlife, and people's homes. I've been thinking what we'd do if we had one near us - we have plenty of houses around us, but at on the edge of high hill and fields are obviously all around our village - my Mum is literaly the other side at bottom of hill with a large area of grass - if that grass were on fire, only way out is on the road alongside it.

They will stop when idiots stop lighting them for fun or using disposable barbecues which are not disposed of safely. We are local to Stoke on Trent and saw the smoke from the fires as we drove home yesterday.

I think those disposable BBQs need to be banned, smokers don't help, and then you have those started deliberately. Some come from accidents, like RTAs etc and the grass just catching so quickly. I think though, wildfires are common across Europe and as the climate changes they will become a regular feature here too

3 children got arrested on suspicion of starting fires, age 11-13, earlier in the week

When it rains. We back onto open land that is dry as a bone, I worry about people smoking, having BBQs and children (and stupid adults) 'playing' with fire in the holidays. Hopefully some rain next week.

I feel for you. Sending good vibes.

We are quite a way from the current fires, but there is smoke rolling over the valley, which must be drifting.

We had a small one about a mile aeay last night.

Seeing as how it waa next to the main road... my guess is on cigerette. And the person who tossed it wont even realise.

In Wales someone has been arrested for starting a fire that resulted in five houses being burned down. We have had a lot of fires here.

Where I live in South Wales they are (for the most part) being started intentionally. Kids have always started fires on the hillsides but this year it has gone off the scale. My partner is a firefighter and along with his team, they haven’t stopped. These fires are too difficult to get water to, they have to climb the hillside on foot in all their heavy PPE and beat the flames back. You can only imagine how lovely it is to put that stuff on in 36deg heat like yesterday, just for some little scrote of a kid to relight a fire they put out only a day before. Driving to work this morning I could barely see the road for smoke. It’s infuriating.

One of my neighbours lit a bonfire in their garden a few weeks ago and it set fire to all the trees, and then next door neighbours house caught on fire. For some unknown reason, a different neighbour who backs onto us decided to have a bonfire on Monday night. You couldn’t make it up. His wife came home screaming at him to put it out. He has the IQ of a brick. If that fire had spread, there wasn’t a fire crew anywhere near to come and help. I dread to think what could’ve happened.

I think we underestimate just how thick some people actually are.

@SquashPenguin That's horrendous, why don't people think. Wildfires are awful enough, it's dreadful that people like your husband are having to risk their lives for deliberate acts by idiots. I hope that he stays safe and well.

What's the consequences of starting them and is this communicated ?

For the person setting them, probably a small fine or some other slap on the wrist! I think arson has a higher punishment, but is harder to prove? I could be wrong, especially as some seem to be children. The consequences for the victims are dreadful, they could lose their homes, livelihoods and even their lives.

It is awful. Almost every day now there is the smell of smoke from somewhere or. other.This South Wales resident says thanks to your partner, the firefighters have been heroic.

I wouldn't even have a bbq right now, let alone a bonfire. Madness.

Don't be daft. That's a ridiculous level of whataboutery, even for MN.

And even if someone has got to the age where they can access moorland without adult supervision, but have apparently never experienced fire, there are many many signs telling people not to use BBQs or other sources of ignition because of the risk of wildfires. There is no excuse.

The majority are being started by entitled people.

• I'll have a bonfire if I want to, it's not illegal

• We always have barbecues when we go for a picnic, so why shouldn't we have one today.

• But it's Grannies Birthday so we want to send Birthday wishes to heaven in these stupid Chinese lanterns

We live near Glastonbury, there was some goddess that needed worshipping so they lit a bonfire. Admittedly they did all the right things like build a ditch around it as a fire break etc, but they were so, so lucky that the sparks didn't cause it to spread.

Then there is the stupid TikTok thing encouraging kids to set hay bales on fire. When are parents going to realise that these stupid crazes are generated in China to destabilise the west. This type of content, along with addictive content is banned on the Chinese version - yet heavily promoted in other countries.

So, they won't stop until people stop lighting them or causing them to light such as discarding litter.

They will end when dick heads stop purposely lighting them, chucking cigarettes/matches on the ground, lighting disposable BBQs, sending out chinese lanterns and generally behaving like twats.

We live adjacent to a field, so despite a hosepipe ban (I'm not using it, rarely did) I have it hooked up ready to go. Wouldn't try to fight a fire, but you never know... we've had kids locally, in nearby towns, actually set fires and been caught doing so. I've also been litter picking verges, checking for glass bottles, which sadly do get chucked out of windows. We need to put in tree lines, look at construction materials... and sadly the UK has no bulk airborne water carriers, so we really, yet again, are ill prepared.

Where I we’ve had the tiniest amount of rain the last two months. Everything is dry, we aren’t that far from Dunwich heath which was a huge fire recently. Last night someone had fireworks. Even if the firework has gone out when it hits the ground, just being hot could be enough.

My garden backs onto a park which is like straw. I’m really worried about it.