Residents, landowners and visitors have been warned to avoid disposable barbecues, firepits, garden incinerators and other activities capable of starting a fire.
Millions of mobile phones across England and Wales sounded a loud emergency alarm on Friday evening after the UK Government issued a severe warning over a very high risk of wildfires.
The alert reached this Pentacept Reporters journalist at approximately 19.11pm while he was taking an evening walk near a park.
The unexpected siren-like sound interrupted the quiet surroundings before a message headed “Emergency alert: Severe” appeared on the phone screen.
The notification warned:
“There is a very high risk of wildfires nationally. Residents, landowners and visitors should not undertake any activity that could start a fire, including disposable barbecues, firepits, garden incinerators or fireworks.”
The government cautioned that even a small flame could rapidly develop into a major wildfire, putting lives, homes, businesses and emergency responders at risk.
Members of the public were instructed to follow official updates and report any signs of fire immediately by calling 999.
Alert confirmed by GOV.UK
The warning has been confirmed as genuine on the UK Government’s official Emergency Alerts website.
The government’s Emergency Alerts service is designed to provide warnings and safety instructions during life-threatening incidents, including wildfires, severe flooding and extreme storms.
Alerts can cause compatible mobile phones and tablets to vibrate and produce a loud siren-like sound for approximately 10 seconds, even when a device is set to silent.
They are sent according to a person’s current location and do not require the government to know the recipient’s telephone number or have access to the phone’s location services.
What the public should avoid
Residents and visitors have been advised not to undertake activities that could produce flames, heat or sparks.
These include:
- Disposable barbecues
- Firepits and campfires
- Garden incinerators
- Fireworks
- Carelessly discarded cigarettes
- Any outdoor activity capable of igniting dry grass or vegetation
People visiting parks, woodland, grassland and other open spaces should be particularly cautious.
Anyone who sees a fire or signs of an emerging wildfire should move to a safe location and call 999 immediately rather than attempting to tackle a growing fire alone.
The public can check the authenticity of an alert and follow further updates through the official GOV.UK Emergency Alerts service.
This is a developing story and may be updated as further official information becomes available.
