Barbecue warning after dunes blaze
PEOPLE are being urged not to take barbecues to the beach after a blaze ripped through dunes in Southport.
The flames covered an area which Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS) estimated to be around 100m by 50m (110x54yd) at Ainsdale Sand Dunes National Nature Reserve.
The fire, on the morning of Friday, June 29, was one of more than 100 grass fires that MFRS was called to that week, with major fires also taking place at Winter Hill and near Saddleworth Moor.
A spokesperson for MFRS said: “Firefighters were called to a fire at Ainsdale Sands, Shore Road, Ainsdale, on Friday, June 29.
“Fire crews arrived at 5.47am and used beaters and a hose reel to tackle the fire initially.
“Firefighting action included creating a fire break over an area of [approximately] two hectares to prevent the spread of the fire.
“Crews maintained some presence and monitored the area over the following two days, damping down areas where necessary and checking hotspots.”
Now rangers are asking people not to take their barbecues to beaches in Southport, Ainsdale, Formby and Crosby as the heatwave is expected to continue.
A spokesman for Sefton Coast Landscape Partnership said: “With soaring temperatures set to continue we must appeal to all our visitors to the Sefton coast to remember that barbecues and fires are not allowed.
“The dune system is bone dry because of the heatwave and fire can race out of control alarmingly quickly with devastating consequences.
“Portable barbecues are great at home, but if you are planning a visit to the coast this weekend by all means bring a picnic, but please leave the barbecue at home.”
He added: “Disposable barbecues superheat the sand they rest on, making it easy for children to burn their feet, the grill mesh is razor sharp, frequently causing serious cuts and the slightest spark can trigger a fire in the dunes.
“The damage this causes to rare species of plants and animals and the very fabric of the fragile dune system itself can be far reaching.
“No-one wants damage, so please respect this wonderful landscape and leave the barbecue at home.”
Chris Fitzgerald, writing on the Sefton Coast Landscape Partnership Facebook page, said: “I’ve removed countless disposable barbies from beneath the sand, discovered with my metal detector.
“They are lethal, not to mention the amount of glass shards I’ve picked up!
“It takes a few minutes to clean the area you’ve been on.
“Please take home every last bit of everything that shouldn’t be there.”