Fire service issues amber warning of wildfires

A wildfires warning was issued by fire chiefs as temperatures climbed into the low 20s, prompting concerns that extremely dry shrubland and grass could easily catch fire and start a large scale countryside blaze. Fire control staff in Dorset and Wiltshire said that the “unseasonably” warm and dry weather expected this week had led to an Amber wildfire alert being issued.

A spokesman for Wiltshire and Dorset Fire and Rescue Service said: “An Amber alert means that, should a wildfire be experienced, it could spread quickly and easily due to the dry conditions. The risk is greatest on large areas of open land, such as heathlands, fields and even cliffsides.”