UKC

An FYI and a request for advice. The last couple of times I've been up at Wilton there have been groups of teenage lads making fires. Had a run in with a group today who'd started a fire at the little seated area by the main entrance to the quarry. To be fair to them, it was on the table and they'd built stones up around it but the place is incredibly dry right now and they didn't seem to be that attentive and (afaik) didn't even have any water in case it got out of hand.

I considered calling the fire brigade but a 999 call seemed a bit of a nuclear option, especially given difficulty of access for them. The fire was small and contained so my partner and I dumped the contents of our water bottles onto it and gave the lads a warning about the risk of wildfires in the dry weather, plus we called in at the pub to ask them to keep an eye out. But I'm left wondering whether I should've called the fire brigade anyway? Seems like overkill once the fire was out but I'm not sure what the best procedure is in situations like this?

If you're in any doubt, call 999 and let the fire brigade assess the seriousness from your description and assign a priority to it, they're the experts.

I had something similar on the moor above Wharncliffe recently, a couple teenagers had started a small campfire. Tried to talk to them with no success, so tried to call a ranger for the forest, but none available and they advised to call 999. I was initially hesitant like yourselves as it seemed a bit overkill, but they were excellent and sent a small team with beaters and buckets proportionate to the response needed. 

So essentially I'd really encourage anyone to call 999 about a fire they are at all concerned about, you aren't going to get the fire bridge blazing down on your in a big red truck necessarily!

Think making the emergency services aware of the potential risk, particularly in an area like that which is prone to wild fires, would be sensible. There may be things they, and the council, could do to help mitigate future activity. 

Well done for having a chat with them though. Sometimes simple education works wonders, particularly if delivered in the right way. 

There was a fire on Frodsham hill this week and the fire service had a challenge getting water up a steep hill from the nearest hydrant, using multiple pumps to defy gravity. Yours sounds well handled but I guess there’s risk vs reward to factor. 

There were a couple of numpties trying to make a fire near where I live. They were using damp green reeds and all they got as some smoke for their troubles.  Give it a few weeks and the fields will be perfect for a blaze. The fields near me have gone up in smoke, in recent years, very quickly.

I don't think that people are fully aware of how fast and far a fire can spread. TO some its just a few moments of mindless fun to kill some time until it gets out of hand and they run away with a major problem for somebody else to deal with.