Have you all received the wildfire national alert from UKG?

[Arlanymor]

I was quite impressed that mine came through in Welsh and then five minutes later in English. We've had lots of wildfires (although some that didn't start in the wild and were set by children which is really awful) so I think something like this is really sensible in terms of making people consider more carefully their actions. Also might make people flouting water restrictions to 'keep their gardens nice' think twice as well - that water might really be needed for something, it's not an infinite resource. I did... for one second... get a Covid flashback though!

lol

@WonderfulSmith, a very occasional, slightly uncomfortable sound from your mobile to advise of potential risks to you, your family and home are so you are informed and (if you want to) can take sensible precautions if needed is really offensive for certain people. Obvs they can turn them off and maybe go to the market square or equivalent awaiting a poster to be slapped up?

If there was a wildfire near you would you not want to know so that you could safely evacuate your family?

If you waited until you saw it on the news it would be too late.

Wildfires spread like well - wildfire!!

There is a huge risk in suburban areas too - several fires have started from people having bonfires and setting fire to their own lawn, trees, and eventually houses.

No but I’m in Scotland and we aren’t doing heatwaves

I was quite impressed that mine came through in Welsh and then five minutes later in English.

I found it a bit disconcerting that it didn't have both in the same message. I have some knowledge of Cymraeg, but am not fluent. So getting a message that disappears when acknowledged without knowing what it said was a bit worrying. Especially because when I went onto Gov.UK it said that there were no alerts - shouldn't the website have been updated straightaway?

They are a great idea, but I do think the insistent blaring is over the top and alarming. Should have issued it weeks ago.

Yes i got my alert. At first i did not believe that it was legit. But you all got the alert too, so i know for sure now that it is legit.

Got the alert and 10 mins later my neighbour lit a BBQ…. We’ve had 3 local fires this week less than one mile from our street…..

SadiraOfTyr, I understand that, hence my posts why these alerts are not a bad thing at all and why I am struggling to with why some people take exception to information which allows them to make informed choices.

You can choose whether or not to receive them. If you go to your phone settings & look for 'alerts' you can turn them on or off.

You might have turned them off when there was the scheduled test or your phone might need you to turn them on.

It's worth checking your settings to make sure your phone will receive them as they could save lives over the next few weeks with the risk as high as it is

I’d completely forgotten it was coming when the first one happened and i was driving in a really rural area when it started blaring, I absolutely shit myself and almost went off the side of a mountain.

I wasn't impressed at all that it came through in Welsh first. Yes I live in Wales and have done since I was 1, but don't speak any Welsh so I was feeling a bit panicked that a government alert had come and I had no clue what it was about. The English version took 6 more minutes to come. It needs to be the other way round. There isn't a single welsh person in Wales who can't speak English but only 17% of the Welsh population have any knowledge of Welsh.

I think it's a good idea to have these alerts. There are still enough morons lighting bonfires and having barbecues on grass to show that a significant number of people have no common sense whatsoever, maybe this will bring them to their senses.

The last one I had was when we were in a red alert area for wind. I'm surrounded by massive trees and booked into a hotel when the warning came. When I got home a tree had come down in my garden, had missed the house by inches.

It came through at 19.01, jumped out of my skin!

Yes. Pleased it’s being taken so seriously.

Wasn't there a horrific one in urban London during the 40c heat a few years ago. An entire terrace of homes were alight.
Think it was a compost heap in someone's garden

Forget that imagine if a nuke was on its way 🤣 I’m boggled that people turn it off.

Yes I got it. Can't believe some people are switching off their notifications because of this ONE emergency alert. First one we have had since the practice ones a couple of years ago. Get a grip people for goodness sake. 🙄

At least this thread hasn't been started off with a silly gif though, followed by more silly gifs when someone suggested something to the OP!

It made me jump! It’s the first one I think I’ve received apart from the practice one. Were they around earlier on in the pandemic - I don’t remember that at all.

I know!!

People saying their anxiety can't cope with it & would rather not know that there was a wildfire heading their way?!

I'd rather the 'annoying' alarm for a couple of seconds & have the chance to get my family & some belongings to safety.

I was evacuated in a wildfire around this time last year, it was terrifying how quickly it was spreading.

@Portmore, see above.

I didn’t, DH and DDs did. Maybe someone’s decided I’m not worth saving.

Anyway, they’re clearly needed. Local beauty spot, that was perfect for watching the eclipse, was inundated and the morning after the local council sent people out to clear the immense amount of litter that the twats who carried it there couldn’t be arsed to carry back home with them. Amongst the debris were several disposable bbqs. Fucking morons. Pure luck the tinder dry field didn’t catch.

Despite a temporary ban the morons are still out there. No issue at all with the alert.

Yes, I had it twice.

Morons are still out there? What’s that got to do with the alert? Are they setting fire to stuff?!