Wildfires are really upsetting me

Nature can repair itself but only if given the chance. Remember all the pollution in the air disappeared during lockdown? The difference was just incredible. If only it could be like that all the time but people will never give up their cars, and the wheels of industry need to keep moving to supply billions of people in the world with everything their hearts could desire.

25Avalon, we came across what I think inspired that poem, on a holiday to Egypt maybe 20 years ago. Somewhere I have a photo of a grown up dd sitting on one of his toenails!

Nature has a way of springing back from most things and recovering in some form. Whether man will or not is another thing. Remember the lines from the poem:“My name is Ozymandius, King of Kings. Look on my works oh you mighty and despair.”

Isn't that wonderful. Nature can repair itself better than we think, maybe.
This recent rain, which has been quite widespread hopefully, will at least reduce the chance of wild fires, thank goodness.
But we need much more to start re-filling the reservoirs.

At least we have some good news on climate change: the great Barrie reef is growing again. It’s the healthiest it’s been for 36 years ?

Maybe in the country they could start using tank water? We had a drought that lasted about 10 years and many people, including us, went out and bought tanks. We used to put out notices ‘Tank Water Only’ when we watered the garden because watering became illegal from the mains. We still use them for the garden, catching rainwater off the roof.

HunnyBunny, I fear some people have no minds for any kind of thought to go through - that can be the only explanation for some of the things that happen.

Having desalination plants that are operational and a water system that is water tight are high up on my To Do List for the UK. I would also like to have weekly televised reports from our Government on any progress being made on the many areas of concern that we are all facing!

You only need to see how many on GN take flights, somequite often.
But we've been told time and time again, in Harry & Meghan discussions, that this makes no difference?

People should also start, or increase, their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint in bigger lifestyle choices.
You only need to see how many on GN take flights, some quite often and as a species we should be having fewer children.
Yes, we can all make small changes, the larger ones are a lot harder.

HunnyBunny There are so many things that people now do which are bad for the environment. Releasing anything into the sky is awful, balloons or lanterns, what goes up must come down and wildlife suffers from choking etc. on these things. Not to mention the mess when they land somewhere, maybe a beauty spot which really doesn't need rubbish thank you.

Humans really need to realise they cannot do whatever they want whenever they want, which I'm afraid is the modern day way of life.

Someone said on twitter that yesterday in West Sussex, there were sky lanterns released.
I have never thought they were particularly dangerous, just a littering nuisance (like balloons).
But when I read how they can harm wildlife and not to mention the damage that could be done now by the naked flames.
I don’t know what goes through peoples minds, sometimes.

The last moor fire near me was started accidentally by young men having a BBQ The toll of loss of bird life was appalling This was taken from my front garden. It got even nearer to our next door neighbour. Quite frightening at the time.
In town on Friday there was still disposable BBQ's on sale at Asda and Lidl

I feel disposable barbecues should be banned completely for ever, no matter the weather. The destruction in the park where I walk the dog is so upsetting. When there are over a dozen patches of burnt grass, destroyed to the roots every time the weather is dry, it's a disgrace. Not to mention the rubbish left lying around. Why it can't be taken home or at least put in the bin.( There is a large industrial bin with a lid ) and the ashes are just left lying around. At least Sainsbury's have stopped their half price promotion on disposable barbecues that they had running.

grandtanteJE65

If hotter, drier summers are something we shall have to live with, then unfortunately the risk of water shortages and wild fires will increase.

Preventing this will of necessity mean that some of the things we have been accustomed to no longer will be necessary.

It is no skin of my nose if barbecues go out of fashion - I have no liking for food grilled over charcoal. To me it is a method of cooking that completely ruins good food, stinks the entire neighbourhood and takes longer than cooking indoors.

I appreciate that others hold a different opinion, which they are entitled to.

But barbecues may well be one of the things that need to be restricted or even completely banned.

Burning stuble was banned some years ago, and all forests have fire breaks, but it may be necessary to widen them. Ploughing up the edges of corn fields after harvest will not stop fires spreading, as fire can leap far greater distances than the edge of a cornfield.

If the general public cannot be educated to taking all rubbish, including glass bottles home with them, picking up cigarette ends and used matches if they smoke out doors and only lighting fires in specially designated places outdoors, governments may well have to restrict the public's access to woodland. Not something any of us would like to see happening, I am sure.

Remember the litter-bug campaigns of our childhood in the 1950s and 1960s when you could be fined £1 for dropping litter in Scottish streets? A simply enormous sum of money to a child. School teachers, parents, scout masters etc. made a great effort to teach us never to leave rubbish behind, but to pick it up and take it with us to the nearest bin. We were also taught to break spent matches in half and bury the end that had been lit, head down in the earth.

Regarding use or misuse of water - crops have to be watered. Flower-beds and lawns do not. Now I shall duck down behind the sofa - as I know you avid gardeners will not agree.

Nor will you agree when I say bath-tubs should be made illegal. No-one should even for a minute consider filling a bath tub with gallons of water that they use to wash themselves in and then pour down the drain! If you really cannot accustom yourselves to feeling and being clean by taking a short shower, turning the water off while you soap and shampoo yourself, then do at least use the bath water to wash floors or water the garden.

Another thing: why are modern washing machines pumping used, hot water straight down the drain? Remember the wash copper and the water being used to wash floors in, when the washing was done, or when the water in the copper was changed?

I am not trying to suggest that we all can or should lug buckets of water outside, but a pump could be fitted to bath drains or washing machines to pump the water into a resevoir from where it could be diverted either to washing floors, patios, cars, or flushing toilets.

Using clean drinking water to flush a toilet is not something the world can afford to keep on doing, is it?

Instead of just being frightened of forest fires and floods - both of which are frightening, let us start thinking how we can mimimise the risks.

I use as much water having a shower as having a bath. I know that because I kept the plug in one day when I had a shower. It might have been different before people had power showers fitted. And when you suffer from arthritis, as I do, a hot bath is very therapeutic. I do reuse the water, though, and have done ever since I had a water meter fitted. Also people need baths for young children. One of the joys of childhood, imo is playing with bath toys in the bath. Both my children and grandchildren have always loved bathtime. As for only watering crops and not flowerbeds what about the insect life (especially bees) and birds that our flower beds provide for. I do agree about barbecues, though. Never understood them myself. When I’m hungry I want to eat. Not wait ages for the barbecue to heat up and then burn everything. And, as a lousy cook, I’m quite capable of burning food without barbecuing it.Then again, I guess barbecues are social events and I’m not very sociable! I don’t think, as individuals there’s a great deal we can do to minimise the risk of fire and floods. It’s down to government to do more and spend more money. The current government cut back on firefighters I believe. I live in a flood area and recently drainage ditches have been maintained properly, but they weren’t for a while. Ditto the drains in the road. Flood plains shouldn’t be built on. I don’t know what the rules are about that now: they seem to change all the time. I’m sure that they recently said it was ok to build on flood plains again. My driveway allows water to drain through it but my neighbours drives, which were done after mine, don’t.

Some kids set fire to 50 hay bales in the field near me Fraserpradhan, new estate backs onto it. Still smells awful, but fire brigade tackled it very quickly. Farmer has been criticised for leaving them there, they weren't black plastic wrapped. Three boys were seen cycling off hurriedly.

My house backs onto a field too and I have also been worried about fires; particularly after seeing people on TV who had lost everything, which prompted me to put a few things that I wouldn't want to be without into a rucksack in case of an emergency!

I took my dog to the beach last night and a young couple had a fire in the dunes, looked like one of those bucket barbeques. I said open fires were banned during this heatwave and he said he had water to put it out. Whether he did or not is another matter.

I know they have beach wardens in certain areas, this area has become so popular we need them now. Shouldn't be up to old ladies like me to say things!

Yes, there are plenty of idiots using BBQs but there are also plenty of idiot Ministers in government with a history of cutting fire services not to mention the NHS, ambulances, gas storage and failing to control water companies dumping sewage into rivers to keep up their profits.

I was in france in June when it was blistering hot our friends who have farms were all so very worried bout fires. We are surrounded by bushes n trees it really concerned me. This year here in UK we’ve experienced extremely hot weather. Maybe this could be the future I’m definitely not prepared for it as per those who live in hot countries with air conditioning. Which again is expensive to run and bills are high enough

It's awful. They can start anywhere. I was astounded to see a huge display of disposable barbecues at the entrance of a Lidl on Friday. I wrote an email as soon as I got home. A lot of supermarkets have withdrawn them from sale. They should be fined for continuing to sell them at this point in time when the risk of fire is so great.

The destruction that the fires causes is awful, it must be so frightening for people when so close to their homes and the poor wildlife that suffer terribly. How can some people think it's ok to leave BBQs and litter lying about when they are finished. Also the idiots that start them deliberately, what goes on in their stupid heads. Flip it makes me so angry!
I was out early this morning for my dog walk and the litter left down at the seafront was a disgrace. The beer bottles were everywhere, broken glass and they had actually thrown all the life saving rings into the harbour. I met a council worker and the poor guy had to stand while I had a rant.

If hotter, drier summers are something we shall have to live with, then unfortunately the risk of water shortages and wild fires will increase.

Preventing this will of necessity mean that some of the things we have been accustomed to no longer will be necessary.

It is no skin of my nose if barbecues go out of fashion - I have no liking for food grilled over charcoal. To me it is a method of cooking that completely ruins good food, stinks the entire neighbourhood and takes longer than cooking indoors.

I appreciate that others hold a different opinion, which they are entitled to.

But barbecues may well be one of the things that need to be restricted or even completely banned.

Burning stuble was banned some years ago, and all forests have fire breaks, but it may be necessary to widen them. Ploughing up the edges of corn fields after harvest will not stop fires spreading, as fire can leap far greater distances than the edge of a cornfield.

If the general public cannot be educated to taking all rubbish, including glass bottles home with them, picking up cigarette ends and used matches if they smoke out doors and only lighting fires in specially designated places outdoors, governments may well have to restrict the public's access to woodland. Not something any of us would like to see happening, I am sure.

Remember the litter-bug campaigns of our childhood in the 1950s and 1960s when you could be fined £1 for dropping litter in Scottish streets? A simply enormous sum of money to a child. School teachers, parents, scout masters etc. made a great effort to teach us never to leave rubbish behind, but to pick it up and take it with us to the nearest bin. We were also taught to break spent matches in half and bury the end that had been lit, head down in the earth.

Regarding use or misuse of water - crops have to be watered. Flower-beds and lawns do not. Now I shall duck down behind the sofa - as I know you avid gardeners will not agree.

Nor will you agree when I say bath-tubs should be made illegal. No-one should even for a minute consider filling a bath tub with gallons of water that they use to wash themselves in and then pour down the drain! If you really cannot accustom yourselves to feeling and being clean by taking a short shower, turning the water off while you soap and shampoo yourself, then do at least use the bath water to wash floors or water the garden.

Another thing: why are modern washing machines pumping used, hot water straight down the drain? Remember the wash copper and the water being used to wash floors in, when the washing was done, or when the water in the copper was changed?

I am not trying to suggest that we all can or should lug buckets of water outside, but a pump could be fitted to bath drains or washing machines to pump the water into a resevoir from where it could be diverted either to washing floors, patios, cars, or flushing toilets.

Using clean drinking water to flush a toilet is not something the world can afford to keep on doing, is it?

Instead of just being frightened of forest fires and floods - both of which are frightening, let us start thinking how we can mimimise the risks.

Someone set fire to hay bales in the north of our county the other day, massive fire & scores of people living in the area had to be evacuated.

Regarding disposable BBQ’s, I know someone who took a group of children on a day trip to the beach, one of them seriously injured his foot when he trod on a disposable BBQ that had been covered over in the sand and abandoned, his foot was badly cut by the tray as well as burnt. They’re good if people dispose of them properly but there always ignorant selfish people who just couldn’t care less about the environment or safety of people or animals.

We are used to seeing dreadful moorland fires up here, though this summer there haven’t been any so far. The usual causes are deliberate fire starting, either by stupid vandals or unscrupulous landowners or their gamekeepers. TeacherAnne and Monica thanks for your common sense, which is sadly lacking in some people.