Heathland across Surrey is tinder dry at the moment, following several days without any significant rainfall.
On Sunday afternoon (1st September 2024), a wildfire took place destroying roughly two acres of heath.
As Cllr Richard Tear, Surrey County Councillor for Bagshot, Windlesham and Chobham, said "this could have been so much more serious", had it not been for the swift actions of Surrey Fire and Rescue Service who dispatched a fire engine, two Land Rover tenders and a Unimog to tackle the blaze.
Thankfully this summer we have not seen many wildfires across the county, as compared to previous years. In 2022, over 123 acres of heathland on Hankley Common were destroyed following a large wildfire, and in 2020, over 40 hectares of heath burnt down on Chobham Common.
This serves as a poignant reminder to be careful on the heath, and to not use barbecues or light a campfire on the common.
Following the wildfire, Chobham Commons Preservation Committee released the below advice:
"The most effective way to report the location of a fire, or any incident that needs the emergency services to attend, is to provide an accurate location using the free what3words app on a smartphone."
Pictured, the wildfire at Tank Hill on Chobham Common
