s climate change increases the risk of wildfires in the UK this summer, firefighters are turning to new techniques to manage the situation.
Last year’s sweltering hot summer weather saw thousands of fires start, and this year there have already been hundreds of grass fires.
Increasingly fire crews are training in skills from southern Europe and the US.
This week has seen wildfires in Canada shroud areas of North America in smoke, creating air pollution problems for millions.
Take a look at our guide to how wildfires start and what is being done to respond to them.
How do wildfires start?
A fire needs fuel, oxygen and heat to get going.
When the weather is hot and with drought conditions, often something as tiny as a spark from a train wheel can ignite a huge wildfire.
In other instances, fires occur naturally, lit by heat from the sun or a lightning strike.
A lot of wildfires are caused by human negligence. For example, campfires, discarded lit cigarettes, arson, failing to burn debris properly, and playing with matches or fireworks can all be to blame.
Once started, a wildfire can spread thanks to wind, because of fuel – which could be dry foliage, grass, or trees – or being on a slope.
In dry weather, fires are much more difficult to control and ultimately put out.
Firefighters often refer to the fire triangle when trying to extinguish a blaze.
If you take away oxygen, heat or fuel, then the fire will not be able to sustain itself.
How will the specialist units work?
Fire chiefs are keen to build upon the number of specialist teams who can use “burn suppression” techniques – which is the deliberate burning of land to keep a fire contained.
Currently, only five UK units across more than 50 fire and rescue services specialise in the “fighting fire with fire” technique, and this is mostly in moorland regions.
More units could now be trained and deployed nationally.
Speaking to the BBC, Chief Fire Officer Paul Hedley, wildfire lead for the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), said the threat of such major wildfires was “clearly growing in the UK”.
He said: “All of this learning from international partners, who are probably still some years ahead of us, is a very sensible way of trying to get us ahead of the curve.”
There is hopes for a UK-wide training programme to be established as part of a national action plan to build upon the lessons learnt from dealing with last year’s increase in wildfires.
Surrey Fire and Rescue is at the forefront of the change, and has been called to more than 80 wildfires already this year.
Matt Oakley, a fire investigations officer for Surrey Fire and Rescue, is one of the UK’s national wildfire tactical advisors.
This is a group of specialist officers who already have the skills learnt abroad and who will be training units, with techniques borrowed from France and South Africa.
He explained: “Our climate is changing – it’s changing beyond recognition. What used to be a nine to 12-year cycle, this is every year now.
“We are heading towards a northern Mediterranean climate in the southeast of England within the next decade and this will be business as usual day in, day out.”
Some of the tactics being used include creating natural firebreaks and reducing the “fuel-load” of vegetation, to setting controlled burns on purpose around wildfires to halt their spread.
When combined, they would stop the need for massive amounts of water in a drought.
But the Fire Brigades Union insists more is needed besides new training and techniques to tackle the growing challenges associated with climate change.
Cuts since 2010 have meant the number of firefighters has been dwindling, and more crews are now needed.
Matt Wrack, the Fire Brigades Union’s general secretary, called for more funding from the government, told the BBC: “Rising temperatures and the systematic underfunding of the fire and rescue service are a recipe for destruction.”
The government said it was giving fire and rescue authorities around £2.6billion this year, and each authority was able to decide what it was spent on.
A spokesperson said: “The Home Office works closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council and England and Wales Wildfire Forum to continue to improve our response to wildfires and mitigate them.”
