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Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and the rest of the Fire Operations Group recently joined partner agencies to take part in a live wildfire exercise hosted by Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service in Glossop.
The exercise was created to ensure that in the event of a wildfire, firefighters can formulate and action a plan to extinguish it quickly and with minimal damage.
In the last decade, wildfire incidents have increased across the UK, and Cheshire fire service typically sees wildfires occurring more often in warmer weather during the spring and summer. While climate change plays a role, statistics highlight that many wildfires are caused by preventable human actions, such as discarded cigarettes and unattended barbecues.
The exercise emphasised the importance of collaboration between services across county borders, strengthening the bonds between regional fire and rescue services to be able to work efficiently and effectively together in these scenarios.
“These exercises are vital for ensuring that in the event of a wildfire there are robust and experienced people trained to tackle them.
“The scenarios went well and brought up lots of conversation about equipment, policies, procedures and tactics.
“Thank you to Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service and all involved for making the exercise such a success, this has further strengthened the Fire Operations Group* and the relationship with our partners.”
Cheshire’s wildfire lead, Station Manager Ben Sanderson.
The Fire Operations Group was formed in 1996 after a serious moorland blaze. It comprises Fire and Rescue Services from West Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, and Derbyshire, alongside the National Trust, Peak District rangers, landowners, gamekeepers, and utility companies.
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