We all learn about the dangers of fire, and we see regular news stories of the devastating impact of wildfires on homes, communities and wildlife in parts of Europe and USA. While those events are upsetting, they are far away. It couldn’t happen in Formby, could it?
Spring 2019 had been very dry throughout England. As Easter approached, there had been no rain in Formby for two weeks and the temperature was soaring to record levels. On Easter Monday, it reached a peak of 24C and there was a light easterly breeze.
These are the conditions that bring large crowds to Formby. Unfortunately, together with leaf litter from the previous year, they are also ideal for wildfires to spread.
It was early in the afternoon, just as visitor numbers were reaching their peak, that the Rangers received the first call. We still don’t know how the fire at the north end of the site actually started, but we do know that it spread very quickly and became so large that Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service needed five fire engines to control it.
Fortunately, the prompt action of the Rangers meant that the fire was limited to around 15,000 square metres of woodland, but it took three days to be fully extinguished and rangers were still damping down hot spots 10 days later.