Guardian U.K:
UK gardeners given tips to avoid wildfires as climate crisis raises risk
Scores of wildfires mean 2019 has already broken the record set during last year’s heatwave
theguardian.com
"UK faces an increasing risk of blazes from global heating.
This year has already been the worst for wildfires in the country in the last decade, perhaps longer, and comes on top of a significant rise in the number and extent of fires during last summer’s record-breaking drought and heatwave.
So far this year, there have been 134 wildfires in the UK, burning more than 29,000ha of land. This is substantially more than the 18,000ha burned in 79 incidents in 2018, when blazes on Saddleworth Moor near Manchesterand Winter Hill in Lancashire, as well as dozens of smaller fires across the country, caused devastation.
those at the greatest risk are people living near the edges of moors, grassland, heathland and some types of forest. In the worst recent incident in Britain or Ireland two houses burn down in Ulster, County Donegal.www.theguardian.com/...
(However),the risk can be reduced by taking some simple measures. For instance, property owners are advised to ensure that any nearby trees do not overhang buildings, to clean their gutters regularly to prevent the build up of dry leaves and other flammable material, and to take care of their vegetation.
Aspen is a species that is notably resistant to fire, and is sometimes used to create firebreaks, while eucalyptus trees are notoriously flammable. Property owners in the US, Australia and other areas prone to wildfires are often advised to leave spaces clear of trees for about 30 metres (100ft) around their houses, but in the UK ensuring that dead and dried vegetation is regularly cleared is likely to be enough.
People who fail to look after their properties and allow gardens to become overgrown are a fire hazard to their neighbours, experts warned on Friday, and any sensible fire strategy must cover whole neighbourhoods.www.theguardian.com/...
'Hell is coming': week-long heatwave begins across EuropeTemperatures could hit 40C from Spain to Switzerland, with authorities urging children and older people to stay indoorswww.theguardian.com/...
"Wildfires tend to be associated with hot summers, but spring is also a dangerous time as trees and plants are still not in the growing stage and hot, dry conditions can create a hazard. The hottest winter day on record was experienced on 26 February this year, when temperatures topped 21C, Saddleworth Moor again sprang into flames, and there were fires in Edinburgh, Salisbury and elsewhere. Much of the increase in wildfires this year has been the result of a single large fire near Moray in the north of Scotland, which has raised relatively little concern as few people live or farm nearby.
Thomas Smith, an assistant professor of environmental geography at the London School of Economics, said: “Climate change is increasing the abundance of fuel and the likelihood of ignitions.” . Of the last 11 years, only 2011 showed a similar pattern as the last two years, with 44 fires burning 17,000ha.
Smith said judging the number and extent of UK wildfires is hard, because a clear and consistent satellite record is only available for the last decade, and previous records were patchy and inconsistent. In four of the years since 2008, there had been no fires big or intense enough to appear on the satellite record.
Wildfires can cause sudden spikes in air pollution from particulate matter, presenting a serious health hazard many miles away from the fireswww.theguardian.com/...
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