The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is proactively addressing the increased incidence of wildfires through consistent training exercises in various parks across London.
After experiencing its busiest operational day since World War II in 2022, the LFB has allocated additional resources to combat wildfires in a city where almost half of the area consists of green spaces.
Last Thursday, over 50 personnel from the LFB, Metropolitan Police, and the Royal Parks charity, which manages eight parks in London, participated in a drill at Richmond Park in south-west London.
Rob Davies from the LFB described the exercise as an excellent chance for team members to familiarize themselves with how the equipment functions and understand the demanding nature of wildfire response.
The recent drill concentrated on safeguarding a site designated as a special scientific interest, which is home to skylarks on one side and the Royal Ballet School on the other.
In order to establish a fire break, Surrey Fire and Rescue deployed its Unimog vehicle, which can carry up to 4,500 liters of water for creating a protective water barrier.
Mr. Davies highlighted that there had already been over a dozen wildfires this year, following one of the driest springs in UK history.
He noted that organizing such training can be challenging due to the high temperatures, but it is crucial since it forms a significant part of firefighters’ daily responsibilities.
Mr. Davies stated, “We have made significant investments in wildfire-related technology, training, and additional equipment. The threat of wildfires is persistent, and drills like this are extremely beneficial.”
Peter Lawrence, the assistant manager at Richmond Park, characterized the drill as “excellent,” emphasizing that with increasingly extreme weather patterns, the risk of wildfires is on the rise.
He remarked, “We are frequently encountering wildfires, whether in forests or grasslands, which can negatively impact wildlife. It was encouraging to observe the coordinated response from both the police and the London Fire Brigade, while our teams were able to engage and effectively test our capabilities.”
The ongoing advice continues to be to refrain from starting any open fires.
