ROCKETING temperatures have resulted in environment bosses issuing an urgent plea to revellers flocking to the town’s green spaces to refrain from starting fires due to ‘tinder-dry’ conditions.
Barnsley Council, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and rangers at Rabbit Ings Country Park, Royston, have all urged people to be cautious following incidents in recent summers.
A spokesperson from the site said: “With summer seemingly now here, the ranger team would like to remind visitors to Rabbit Ings Country Park that fire and barbecues are not permitted.
“Fire spreads quickly especially in the dry summer months.
“We have seen the impact of this at Rabbit Ings in previous years and would appreciate everyone’s co-operation.”
Moorlands around Barnsley are said to be at particular risk of catching fire due to high contents of peat, which store large amounts of carbon.
A statement from the council added: “Barnsley’s peatlands store approximately double the amount of carbon that’s stored in all the world’s forests.
“Healthy peatlands - which are in good condition - absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
“Maintaining our peatlands in a good condition helps us to make sure this carbon stays stored within the ground.
“Disposable barbeques, fires and fireworks can so impact on other important habitats in the borough.
“We all have a responsibility to protect our countryside and open spaces for current and future generations.”
A public space protection order (PSPO) - covering 2,500 hectares of moorland - is in place to the west of the borough including Langsett, moorland nearby Thurlstone, right up to the Dunford Bridge area and the Kirklees border.
It outlaw fires, fireworks, sky lanterns the use of disposable barbecues outside of designated areas on publicly-accessible moorland.
A spokesperson from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (SYFR) said: “Unfortunately it is very common for fire services to see a spike in small and deliberate fires during the summer months when the weather is warmer and grass is tinder-dry.
“When the ground and vegetation is so dry, it only takes the smallest flame to start what could be a huge fire.
“We’d like to ask that people help us in the fight against arson and deliberate fire-setting by reporting it to us.
“Deliberate fires are among the most common types of incident that our firefighters attend, yet they are often entirely needless.
“This not only endangers life and wastes our time, it can also massively destroy local parks, facilities and landscapes, so we would really encourage people to keep using our FireStoppers service to help us help you.”
* If you see a wildfire, immediately call 999.
