Facebook reckons the fire in the Burbage Valley was started by a barbecue. I was the fourth person there (after Isaac and two firefighters) at what i think was about 40 minutes after it was first reported to the emergency services. I stayed there for 7 hours fighting it and helping co-ordinate the response. I didn’t see anyone called Facebook. Along with experienced colleagues we found no cause of the fire – no barbecue, no glass bottle, no campfire, no natural cause. No fairies.
We believe the fire to have been started deliberately.
Sorry Facebook.
Saturday 8th August
1201hrs – A walker called Isaac was on the flanks of Carl Wark and saw smoke coming from the wood below him.
Not being local he didn’t know if there was a cottage or charcoal burning in there. After a few minutes he set off (through chest high bracken, over a beck, over a fence and through thick woodland) to find out. At speed.
1206hrs – Nick, the local farmer, spoke to walkers at Burbage North that had observed smoke in the valley below. He then rang me. In a typically Nick way he asked me ‘if i knew Burbage was alight’ in the sort of way someone would ask you if you knew there was 20p off a pint of milk in the Co-op. ‘I didn’t’, i replied with fake nonchalance.
1207hrs – I sent this message to the Eastern Moors (EMP) rangers group ….
….. then slid down the pole into the bat mobile.
1214hrs – Isaac got to the fire site. Some fallen trees and the forest floor were alight. He called 999.
For some reason the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) were, i think, wrongly directed by their Control to Lady Cannnings and then to Higger Tor.
1220hrs – Nick rang me and said FRS were aware but were having trouble getting in to the valley from the south.
I was making my way to the south access to the valley (aka Toads Mouth) at a ‘reasonable speed’.
On my way i rang Phil a colleague ranger and a drone ninja. Situational awareness is a game changer. He got sorted and headed in.
As i arrived i saw a FRS chap literally about to use a grinder to saw off the access barrier. We had a few words conversation and i unlocked and opened the barrier and 2 FRS tenders went up the valley and stopped at the junction above Packhorse Bridge. I hitched a lift up the valley on a passing tractor then ran down to the woodland.
1240 – There was a Scotty Pack (a 20 litre water bladder rucksack used for wildfires) by the gate, i shouldered it and went in to the woodland. I had a brief chat to Nick at the gate who said the FRS were struggling to find the fire – it’s easy on the hillside to see the smoke but less so when fighting through trees looking for it.
1244 – found it and found Isaac. There was a FRS operator just weighing up the fire and giving early reports back to their control.
Location
The fire was started near to an area we know well and call the ‘dog leg’ where the plantation ‘has a chunk missing’. The clearing has the Burbage Beck to the south, tall old conifer to the fringes and north, and then new growth birch around that. The fire was in the old conifers ‘top right’ of the clearing.
Scene
The FRS operator didn’t seem too bothered at that time. There was smoke and flame but nothing too alarming. The fire was up to about head height and going nowhere quickly. The south westerly wind at that time was only reaching the tree tops and not fanning the fire at floor level. It was clearly apparent where the fire had started e.g. the most south westerly burnt bit.
There was an excellent plan – which was hastily put in to place – to pump water from Burbage Brook direct to hoses on the fire. Some hard graft followed as did the delivery of more pumps and hoses and a reservoir, but this early initiative allowed the FRS to get good volumes of water on to the fire and not have to arse around with Scotty Packs. Gamechanger.
1300hrs ish – the wind strengthened and blew through the woodland at floor level. The fire front travelled quicker and pushed the fire towards the last few tall old conifers to the north. And up they went. Like forty foot fireworks.
There was a photo from this time that appeared on the Sheffield Star online. The crown of the trees were alight. Looked quite serious.
At ground level there were some ‘fucking big flames’, but the fire seemed to be going upwards and not outwards.
Up to that point the FRS plan was working well with the available resources. They then requested available crews from other stations.
Two colleagues from EMP were up at Tintwistle helping locate and extinguish residual hotspots from that weeks long fire. At the outbreak of this fire they made best haste back. Other volunteer rangers helped to close the valley to recreational users as additional assets rolled in.
Phil was tasked to fly over the wider woodland with a thermal drone and make sure the wind hadn’t carried anything from the blazing tree crowns out in to the wider area causing multiple ignition points.
Several years ago when many of the conifers were felled and the birch saplings planted somebody somewhere decided not to plant the birch right up to the old conifers. We owe them a cup of tea.
1330hrs ish – a Whatsapp message was received from the local farming community offering their help and also passing the message that the local gamekeeper estates were also asking if they could be of assistance. Although they were asked to remain on ‘standby’ at that time, knowing that the wider land management community had our back and could bring skilled, experienced and equipped wildfire fighters to help was a significant boost. Thank you.
1344hrs ish – by this time a few of the conifers were toast but, miraculously the change in fuel type (from very flammable old conifer to far greener and far more fire resistant birch) effectively closed the door on the fire. A photo at this time shows a markedly different and less alarming scene. A few pockets of low flame and a smoking woodland floor.
The positive impact of the fuel change was further increased by the FRS hosing hundreds and hundreds of litres on to the W, N and E flanks of the fire.
The FRS Polaris and EMP ArgoCat 4×4 vehicles also drove in to the woodland to provide additional support and water volume.
I walked round the site and mapped the area at about 200m circumference. It was mapped later by drone at 0.14 hectares or 1400 square metres.
1430hrs ish – Hotspotting is the term given to using a thermal drone and handheld thermal imagers to inspect the fire site for hotspots. FRS and rangers would then soak the area. This went on for about 2.5hrs. The ability to pump water from the brook and turn the area in to a sodden charred ‘porridge’ was a gamechanger.
One amusing episode here was finding a hotspot of 110c 30ft up a tree. Two FRS hoses made short work of it.
1530hrs ish – a colleague ranger dropped a bag of cola, chocolate and crisps in our Argocat. Having missed lunch this was much appreciated. Cheers Craig.
1800hrs ish – FRS personnel and rangers sat in the fire site and had sandwiches, cakes and drinks that the FRS had purchased. Thank you for sharing.
1900hrs ish – FRS and EMP rangers left the site. We headed back to the ranger base and shovelled chips in to our mouths before heading back out for the evening patrol.
2140hrs – EMP flew a thermal drone over the site. The entire fire surface had cooled to below 17c. Testimony to hotspotting and flooding it for hours to remove any risk whatsoever of residual hotspots ….
2221hrs – Our thermal drone found three males in Burbage woodland within a few hundred metres of the earlier fire. They were observed gathering wood and piling it near their tent.
The drone main beam was turned on them and the Land Manager informed them (through the drone speaker) that their actions were unacceptable and in breach of the Public Space Protection Order and that they were to pack up and leave immediately. They did. They were spoken to (face to face) by rangers at the car park.
Summary
We was lucky.
Graft and teamwork works.
Keep plans simple.
Comms were poor (they always are down there).
Get lots of water fast.
It wasn’t a barbecue.
Thanks everyone.
©️Please don’t rob the content.