Weeks of warm weather have left the ground tinder dry and the result is frightening
It’s only a matter of time
Over recent days fires have raged across South Yorkshire.
Weeks of warm weather have left the ground tinder dry and the result is frightening.
Day after day, firefighters have been tied up for hours on end desperately battling to prevent flames from spreading.
Fires have sprung up in parks, woodland and on expanses of open land.
While wildfires rage across Europe, the problem closer to home is, in the main, down to us.
It’s people having garden fires and barbecues, it’s people not disposing of their cigarettes carefully.
On Friday night, friends and family shared photos and videos with me of a fire which quickly took hold on land near the Waverley estate.
Within a matter of minutes the fire spread at terrifying speed and lit up the skyline.
The flames could be seen for miles.
Residents of nearby homes must have been terrified as the blaze spread.
Just a few hours before, plumes of thick black smoke could also be seen for miles when woodland near Rother Valley Country went up in flames.
And last month a row of houses were destroyed in Fox Hill, Sheffield, when a fire, believed to have been started deliberately, spread to nearby properties.
It is a miracle that nobody died.
Dramatic video footage captured a hero police officer banging on doors to alert residents to the blaze.
Thankfully everyone got out unharmed.
At the weekend fire chiefs said: “None of these fires are happening on their own. All of them are being caused by human behaviour.”
They urged people to report those whose who are starting fires, they asked people to stop having barbecues open spaces and they pleaded with people to stop having garden bonfires.
In short they need your help.
Every blaze a firefighter responds to puts them at risk.
It’s someone’s husband, wife, partner, mum, dad, son, daughter, sibling or friend who puts their life on the line to protect us whenever a 999 call is answered.
We all need to play our part now before it’s too late.
With the ground so dry, it does not take much for a fire to take hold - and the consquences could be catastrophic.
If we are to protect lives, our fire crews, the environment, homes and businesses, we need to speak out, challenge and report risky behaviour.
If you are a parent and suspect your child may have been starting fires or are hanging around with culprits, please don’t turn a blind eye.
It might just be a matter of time before we are dealing with something horrific if we don’t all do our bit.