The head of the London Fire Brigade’s wildfire response unit has warned there will be even more outdoor blazes in the future – but his team has an array of new weapons to fight back.
Ken Spratt is the mastermind behind the brigade’s response to increasingly dry and hot conditions in the capital, with grassland in areas ready to go up like a ‘tinderbox’.
There have been several incidents across London this summer with the most serious being when fire which ripped through grassland in east London and was only stopped just under 20 metres from homes.
Dozens of residents were evacuated when the fire tore through towards their properties in under half an hour.
More than 120 firefighters were called to the 20 hectare blaze in Dagenham last month.
There were also fires on Walthamstow Marshes and Hornchurch on the same night.
Just yesterday, eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were called to a grassfire in Arnold Road in Northolt, north west London after eight hectares of grass, trees and shrubland caught fire.
LFB said they have been called to 35 grass fires so far this year involving four or more fire engines – already beating last year’s total of 27.
Most of last year’s blazes took place in late August and September, it added.
An investigation into the causes of the fires has been launched but usually the fires are triggered by ‘human behaviour’ as well climate change, according to Commander Spratt.
Discarded cigarettes and rubbish setting alight due to the heat and sun are common causes, with the brigade constantly urging people to heed warnings over the dire consequences of their actions.
He told Metro: ‘Human behaviour is often the cause with cigarettes or rubbish or glass reflecting causing the problems. We would urge people to be more careful. Climate change is causing drier hotter conditions and it’s becoming more challenging for us. These fires can duress very very quickly.’
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The commander added that the fire brigade has invested in specialist kit used in countries such as Spain and Greece where wildfires have been common for decades.
There include an off-road 4×4 vehicle, which carries 475 litres of water and can be dispatched to areas where traditional fire engines would find the terrain too tough.
The brigade also has backpack blowers, which operate like leaf blowers, and can blow back flames. They also use ‘misting lances’ which spray fine layers of water over the blaze to reduce its intensity and look like jet washers.
More traditional wildfire beaters are also used, which are wafted at the flames and help deprive the blaze of the oxygen.
Commander Spratt said: ‘These pieces of kit are very important and effective. Our firefighters are trained to use them and we are ready. They are placed strategically around London. We are ready for the challenge but we need the help of the public to be vigilant. In extreme cases we will evacuate people. We also have fire breaks in place aimed at stopping the grass near homes catching alight.’
The special 4×4 Isuzu D-Max King Cabs, the rough terrain vehicles are in Biggin Hill in South London, Feltham in the west, Walthamstow in the east and Enfield in the north.
The blaze last month saw dozens of families evacuating their homes in case the blaze continued its course towards them before the firefights from Commander Sprat’s team helped avert disaster.
Mother of two Sarah Tompkins, 28, told how she had been advised to leave and stayed with friends last night.
She told Metro at the time: ‘The firefighters said to go the smoke was unbelievable. We stayed with friends. We just grabbed a few things in a case and legged it. Returning today I honestly feared our house wouldn’t be there any more.
‘It’s been a nightmare but thank god everyone is ok. We are just relieved really and now I can get my kids to school.’
Feven Ghebra, 47, a mother of two, said: ‘The flames were really big we had to evacuate the house and went to the other side of the park. It was very scary – it spread very quickly.’
Commander Spratt added: ‘We are here to reassure and protect the public from the threat and we are ready. An investigation is underway into what caused the grass fires in east London.’
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