Wild fires in the Highlands of Scotland

[chrisupyonder]

Nothing near me yet but plenty of dry moorland around us. Half of Dunnet head was on fire for over a week last year and that was only 5 miles away.

It makes one wonder why most of the fires started bank holiday weekend. Careless tourists or deliberate?

Chris.

[Mike_Oettle]

Chrisupyonder wrote: “Careless tourists or deliberate?”

Both, unfortunately. And in South Africa, all too often deliberate.
Regards,
Mike

[Chas]

Chrisupyonder wrote: “Careless tourists or deliberate?”

Both, unfortunately. And in South Africa, all too often deliberate.
Regards,
Mike

Here in Thetford Forest it is mainly broken bottles.

People have impromptu barbecues. Places like Tesco sell the disposable barbecues, meat packs, salad tubs and all the other trimmings - nothing to prepare, easy to buy, decision made and on your way within minutes. Only thing left is the drink. Tinnies are OK, but all the quality beers in the UK are still produced in bottles only.

Some time during the day, between the game of Frisbee and the football kick around a bottle gets broken. That year, next year, the year later - the fire starts.

In the main it is the thoughtless act, rather than a conscious action causes the fire.

Regards

Chas

[Santa Wally]

Point of clarification: Centralia is in eastern Pennsylvania. Less than 20 miles west of the Frackville exit of Interstate 81. Not too many years ago, outside of town (what little was left of it) I could see the RED HOT glow of the fire through the rocky bank along the road, route 61. An eerie sight, streets, sidewalks, concrete steps along and around vacant lots and smoke rising up out of the ground, including the cemetery on the edge of town. Sometime later route 61 was moved a bit further away from where I looked into the fire.

[Pleater]

Being born and brought up in Yorkshire which has many moors of peat and heather I have always been aware of the danger of fires.

Shortly after we were married my first husband wanted to experience the Pennines, so we took a tent and went walking. He insisted on pitching the tent on peat - luckily the weather had been very dry - starting a fire and leaving it burning all night, and then was unable to understand why I dug out a large hole to expose the smoldering peat to the rain.

We were lucky not to be killed, but the overnight rain damped down the fire and slowed it down, but it had still made a burnt out patch several feet across and as deep as it was wide.

His total lack of concern in the face of my protests was unfortunately only the first of many such arguments. He liked sailing and we were often in difficulties.

His first expedition onto the Solent in a dinghy resulted in a RN frigate dashing up to head him off from the path of the Royal Yacht, Britannia, in which her majesty was reviewing the fleet. His companions that day refused to go out with him again.

He is actually still alive - the Lord knows how - though my divorcing him might have some bearing on it.



Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[Jock Scot]

Being born and brought up in Yorkshire which has many moors of peat and heather I have always been aware of the danger of fires.

Shortly after we were married my first husband wanted to experience the Pennines, so we took a tent and went walking. He insisted on pitching the tent on peat - luckily the weather had been very dry - starting a fire and leaving it burning all night, and then was unable to understand why I dug out a large hole to expose the smoldering peat to the rain.

We were lucky not to be killed, but the overnight rain damped down the fire and slowed it down, but it had still made a burnt out patch several feet across and as deep as it was wide.

His total lack of concern in the face of my protests was unfortunately only the first of many such arguments. He liked sailing and we were often in difficulties.

His first expedition onto the Solent in a dinghy resulted in a RN frigate dashing up to head him off from the path of the Royal Yacht, Britannia, in which her majesty was reviewing the fleet. His companions that day refused to go out with him again.

He is actually still alive - the Lord knows how - though my divorcing him might have some bearing on it.



Anne the Pleater :ootd:

Anne, I am sorry that things did not work out for you both, but you have made my day!

[Jock Scot]

Ooops! Double post, sorry.

[theborderer]

We should use our comman sence and heed the warnings of others when we hike or walk in country areas. We also know that the the land we live on is drying out.
Recent high winds here in Germany, caused the dry soil on open fields bordering a main highway to cause a Sandstorm within minutes. This resulted in a mammoth crash involving 85 vehicles with 21 dead and many injured.

[EagleJCS]

Pleater, I suppose your first husband would prove the adage "Fortune favors the foolish". Sounds like you had your hands full.

[cessna152towser]

Walking in Glen Doll yesterday in the southern foothills of the Grampians I came across a man with a 4WD who was starting brush fires over a large area where trees had recently been felled. I was informed by my walking companion that this is the normal practice in that area, as it clears the ground of residual branches from the felling operations. One has to assume that precautions are taken to ensure the fires do not spread into the surrounding forestry.
Anyway it looks the rain has begun to arrive over Scotland, first day of grey skies here for weeks and rain forecast for here by 7pm tonight.