Wildfire - where to next?
As Chairman of the England & Wales Wildfire Forum (EWWF) I have written to The Home Office and Defra to offer the support of the members of the Forum to review the state of preparedness and planning for wildfire. From early reports coming from the well-publicised fires on Saddleworth Moor and Winter Hill in the South Pennines, I understand that the firefighting effort required to control the fires would have been much reduced if some precautions against wildfire had been in place. The need to plan for wildfire is thrust of the EWWF's message, which has support from The Heather Trust and the rest of the wildfire community. We should not be surprised by wildfire; we should accept that it will happen and plan accordingly. It is not just in UK that major wildfire incidents have been occurring. The BBC News summary provides a useful overview of the international situation and the horror of what has been happening in Greece, which has resulted in the death of at least 80