Cross-border wildfire exercise

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service joined partner agencies to take part in a live wildfire exercise hosted by Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service in Glossop. The exercise was created to ensure that in the event of a wildfire, our firefighters can formulate and action a plan to extinguish it quickly and with minimal damage.  

In the last decade, wildfire incidents have increased across the UK, and we typically see wildfires occurring more often in warmer weather during the spring and summer. While climate change plays a role, statistics tell us that many wildfires are caused by preventable human actions, such as discarded cigarettes and unattended barbecues. 

The exercise emphasised the importance of collaboration between services across county borders, strengthening the bonds between regional fire and rescue services to be able to work efficiently and effectively together in these scenarios.  

Cheshire’s wildfire lead, Station Manager Ben Sanderson, said: “These exercises are vital for ensuring that in the event of a wildfire there are robust and experienced people trained to tackle them.   

“The scenarios went well and brought up lots of conversation about equipment, policies, procedures and tactics.  

“Thank you to Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service and all involved for making the exercise such a success, this has further strengthened the Fire Operations Group* and the relationship with our partners.” 

If you discover a wildfire, move away from any fire or smoke and stay away - wildfires are unpredictable. Call 999 and request the fire service. Where there is no fixed address, we recommend using an app such as What3Words to help services find exact locations quickly.  

Visit our website to find out more about outdoor safety: Outdoor safety

* The Fire Operations Group comprises Fire and Rescue Services from West Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, and Derbyshire, alongside the National Trust, Peak District rangers, landowners, gamekeepers, and utility companies.