Fire

Wisps of smoke show where the fire is burning underground

The phrase 'Stupid is as Stupid Does' has been in common use during this Covid 19 pandemic to describe people who behave in carelessly stupid ways, putting themselves and others in danger. I think the phrase is also relevant when applied to a recent incident at Old Copse. 

Each time we go to Old Copse we do a recce to make sure that everything is ok, for example, checking for fallen trees and large branches in windy weather. This morning, with a busy work day planned as usual, I  took a quick walk about. There was a strong smell of woodsmoke and lots of smoke around. I  quickly found its source and was shocked and alarmed to find that a fire was burning through the leaf litter and had evidently been going for some days despite  recent rain. The burn had gone deep into the ground layer and the fire was spreading below the surface. The charred area was  20 ft across and flames were licking the edges, driven by a south west breeze.

After stamping out as much of the visibly burning areas as possible,  I ran to get help from Sarah. Thank goodness we could get water from the lake, but it was a long and exhausting process filling containers and dragging them up the bank to the burning site. We  dread to think what would have happened if  the fire had continued to burn and/or there had been no water source. We spent much of the day making as sure as we could that the fire had been contained.We can only hope that we were successful and it is not still burning at Old Copse.

Down at the pond fetching water - bucket by bucket

Fire finally out - we hope

We are baffled by the behaviour that caused this. This photo clearly show the remains of the original fire, edged by burned logs. Why anyone would use logs as a fire edging is incomprehensible .

The fire was burning hottest inside tree stumps.

What a shame that the fire was not extinguished properly. It must have been burning for a week - hence the spread of the damage. Absolutely anyone with an interest in,  respect for, and understanding of  woodlands would know about wildfires, and how destructive they can be, especially in an area where pine predominates. Pine needles, full of  highly flammable oils, build up a deep layer, and when lit,  the fire will quickly spread under the surface. By the time this fire was discovered the area of burn was already 20 feet across and still burning slowly and steadily aided by a southwest wind. Much of the burning cannot be seen because it is below the surface.

There are endless stories in the press about  forest and woodland fires caused by carelessness and ignorance - a dropped match,  cigarette end, a barbecue etc., but still it goes on, uninformed people who do not understand the dangers, just wanting to enjoy our beautiful wood  and no doubt, to have  something to post on their Instagram account. It would be no good putting up signs or explanatory notices, these would probably be ignored. We can only hope there won't be a repeat performance, and be extra vigilant for the next few months, especially during very dry,  hot spells such as we had in late June.