After a record-breaking number of wildfires last year, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service is asking everyone to be fire safety aware as the weather gets warmer.

Firefighters from the service responded to more than 500 fires in the open, which includes woodland, heaths, farmland, and fields, during July and August 2022. By comparison, there were only around 100 fires in the open in Suffolk during the same period in 2021. 

Crews from Calais Street in Hadleigh were involved a large number of incidents in the area.

Some of the large-scale incidents included a field fire at Knodishall, a blaze at Barham involving 45 acres of crop, and a forest fire near Thetford. 

A significant increase in fires due to the extreme temperatures experienced last summer also resulted in the service declaring a major incident for the first time in decades on Tuesday, 19 July 2022. 

To help avoid a similar spike in demand this year, the service is asking everyone to play their part in reducing the risk of fires. During hot and dry weather, people are encouraged to: 

• Put litter in the bin when out and about.
• Avoid barbecues and campfires in public open spaces.
• Ensure that any cigarettes are totally put out and disposed of properly. 
• Pick up any glass items instead of leaving them lying around after a picnic.
• Report any fires in the countryside immediately by calling 999.

 Jon Lacey, Chief Fire Officer for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, commented on the importance of being fire safety aware: "Suffolk is a predominantly rural county, so fires in the open are far more common during prolonged periods of dry weather as demonstrated last year.

"The increase in demand was immensely challenging for our fire service, with many firefighters who have been with us for their whole working life describing working in the peak of the heatwave as being like nothing they'd ever experienced before.  

"Although we will always be there for our communities when they need us most, we would ask that people help us by preventing incidents from happening in the first place, reducing the chance of anyone being seriously injured or even killed in a fire." 

Cllr Andrew Reid, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Public Protection, added: "Our county is incredibly fortunate to have such a fantastic fire service whose forward planning enabled it to respond to a record-breaking number of fires in the open last summer. 

"Sadly, many of these incidents could have been avoided by people being more careful, as it only takes one bit of thoughtlessness, such as throwing a cigarette out of a car window, to spark a major wildfire that requires our firefighters to spend hours putting it out. 

"We all need to be mindful of these fire risks to help ease pressure on the service this year and avoid irreversible damage to our county's open spaces at a time when we're all working towards protecting and enhancing Suffolk's environment."

Farmers are also urged to slow the spread of fires by storing hay and straw with a break between stacks and away from other buildings, especially those housing livestock or containing fuels and chemicals. 

Further advice on staying fire safe during the summer months can be found on Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service's website, with guidance also being shared regularly on their Facebook and Twitter channels.