Guernsey fire chief calls for voluntary BBQ and bonfire ban

The fire service has been particularly busy during summer 2022

A chief fire officer has urged people to take part in a "voluntary BBQ and bonfire ban" in the outdoors to cut the number of wildfires.

Guernsey Fire and Rescue Service has dealt with more than double the number of wildfires it usually does during the summer season.

Jon Le Page, chief fire officer, said fires and bbqs are banned by law on public land without written permission.

He warned the island was at high risk with a hot weekend expected.

Disposable bbqs can be responsible for damaging fires in the open

In total there have been 37 fires in the open on Guernsey to date in the summer of 2022 compared to 17 in 2021.

The Alderney Voluntary Fire Brigade has also had to tackle a potentially serious bush fire, as has the team in Sark.

Mr Le Page said: "My message today is simple. I'd ask that people please avoid using disposable barbeques or lighting bonfires when it is this hot and dry.

"If we all partake in a voluntary bonfire ban, we can minimise the risk to our bailiwick."

Jon Le Page, chief fire officer, said there was a high risk of wildfires over the weekend

He added that land is "as dry as a tinder box, and it only takes one person acting irresponsibly to start a fire that causes very serious damage".

Mr Le Page said the island's Places of Recreation Ordinance (1975) bans fires or barbeques without written permission on most publicly owned land, including cliff paths, coastal car parks and parks.

He warned if people did not take care, there could be a repeat of the wildfires along the south coast cliffs during a heatwave in 1976, which took years for the environment to recover.

He added that he would "strongly" urge people to refrain from having a fire on private land until temperatures drop.

Follow BBC Guernsey on Twitter and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].