Preparing for next year's wildfires begins now says Norfolk Fire and Rescue
Norfolk Broads and Norfolk fire and rescue come together to plan ahead for next summer
The Broads Authority and Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service have hosted a workshop to enhance wildfire preparedness in the Broads region.
This initiative comes after a series of wildfires impacted various protected landscapes across the UK, including locations in Norfolk such as Mousehold Heath and Kelling Heath.
The workshop, held at Reedham Marshes and involving diverse organisations from Local Resilience Forums to land managers, focused on coordination in identifying high-risk areas and improving response strategies.
The workshop highlighted the importance of proactive prevention measures, including public communication on the risks associated with human activities like disposable barbecues and campfires during high-risk periods.
Both the Broads Authority and Norfolk fire and rescue, said that social media helped spread important messages this summer. They hope the same will be done for next summer.
Mark Duff-Dick, prevention delivery manager for Norfolk Fire Rescue Service, says that although wildfire's are out of sight - they shouldn't be out of mind.
"we want to try and keep that on people's mindset, not just in summer.
The weather has obviously changed to autumn and into the winter and although it's felt that wildfire season is now finished, it's now that we need to start the preparation for next year.
So we need to look and what we can do now to reduce the risk going into next year."
Andrea Kelly, the Environment Policy Advisor for the Broads Authority, stressed the importance off everyone working together, due to the make up off the broads:
"The Broads is one big connected landscape with lots of different small landowners owning parcels of it.
So we have to work together in order to prepare, to work in partnership and to prevent those fires happening. We cannot do that when the fire has started. We have to do it in advance."