The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) and the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service are urging visitors to the countryside to take great care due to the heightened risk of wildfire during this welcome spell of hot and dry weather.
 
Chairman of DEFA’s Forestry Directorate, Brenda Cannell M.H.K. said, “areas of gorse, heather, grass, and farmers’ crops are currently tinder dry and will ignite readily.  Heathland in the uplands, forestry plantations and areas of coastal heath such as the Ayres National Nature Reserve are particularly vulnerable as a wildfire could have the potential to destroy hundreds if not thousands of acres of vegetation.  In addition, very dry ground conditions mean that the peat soils found in the uplands could be destroyed if fire were to take hold.  This could release huge amounts of stored carbon and degrade habitats and ecology for generations to come.”
 
The public is therefore asked to comply with the following:
 
* Do not light camp fires or barbeques anywhere near combustible vegetation. Do not place disposable barbeques directly on the ground.
* Do not dispose of smouldering cigarettes out of car windows, particularly whilst driving through the uplands.
* Take your litter home with you. Discarded glass bottles can ignite fires.
 
As controlled burning of upland heath is undertaken over the winter months, any fire during the summer is very likely to be accidental and should be reported immediately by calling the Emergency Services Joint Control room, telephone 999.