Prevent wildfires

Codes of conduct

Prevent wildfires

Uncontrolled wildfires in sensitive upland areas like the North Pennines cause long–lasting damage to wildlife and the land, and have a significant impact on rural communities.

Cigarettes, discarded glass bottles and dropped matches can all cause uncontrolled fires – particularly during the spring and summer. Fires are fatal to important animals and plants and devastating to the landscape.

Be wildfire aware

Whenever you are out and about, act responsibly:

Make sure that cigarettes and matches are extinguished before disposing of them appropriately.
Do not have open fires, campfires or BBQs in the countryside.
Take all litter home – discarded cigarettes, vapes, matches and glass bottles can ignite dry vegetation.
Take care when parking vehicles, do not block access roads, tracks or gates.
Be aware that vehicle exhausts can get very hot and if parked on dry vegetation they might start a fire.
Be particularly vigilant in the uplands during any periods of warm, dry weather, and even more so when this coincides with strong winds.
Follow all warning signs about fire risk – they are there for your safety.

Report any fire or smoke – call 999 immediately!

If you see fire or smoke, it is important that you get yourself out of any danger and report it immediately – call 999. Delays in reporting wildfires mean that the damage caused is greater.

What happens if you call 999?

When you call 999, ask for the fire and rescue service then you will be given a series of questions relating to the incident.

You need to provide both your location and the location of the smoke or fire. If you do not know exactly where you are, give the operator details about the nearest village, or the point where you started from or are heading to, and any significant landmarks. You can use the app what3words to help you determine the location.

If you call during the moorland burning season, the operator will check against a list of known controlled burning for the day. If the burning location is not included on the list, the fire and rescue service will respond.

Do not be afraid to make a call – the fire and rescue service would rather attend to a well-intended false alarm than have an unreported incident turn into a major wildfire. The sooner they can respond to an event, the quicker and easier it will be for them to assess the situation and put the fire out, if needed.

Whether you are out walking, mountain biking, horse riding, or simply driving through the uplands be vigilant and help to prevent wildfires.