Fire Risk

To be fair, West and North Wales had quite a dumping of rain at the start of the month. Just the other (west) side of the Cambrians from me is a very different (greener) landscape to what I have here on the east side (parched and dry). I would imagine Snowdonia is greener still as they caught even more rain.
The FR have also implemented quite an elaborate fire strategy consisting of maximising power to weight ratios, utilising some diesel assistance and also fire prevention water bowser trains.

 

Worth noting that the people who complain about over interference from Government and 'Nanny State', are often the first ones to complain about lack of Government action and public information when something goes wrong..

'Common Sense', so often quoted as the ultimate human safeguard, is actually a very rare commodity.

 

I suggest that there is an element of the Government being keen to be shown doing something.

There seem to be a lot of mixed messages I might have said

Do NOT light any fire or naked flame outside
Do Not use a charcoal barbecue, fire pit, candle, fireworks or Chinese lanterns
Do not light a bonfire
Clear away any flammable waste from your garden by taking it to your Councils Tip

 

I see on the WSR web site

Operational Changes
Due to the current dry weather conditions, all steam services are currently suspended up to and including Thursday 20th August 2026.

Services will continue to operate with our heritage diesel fleet, please check our daily timetables for up to date information.

We will continue to monitor the situation and update this page accordingly.

 

Very good point. Have done a lot of scrub-cutting bonfires during conservation work (Obviously, not at the moment - and never during spring or summer). A bit of even heavy rain on a heap of cut material soon dries off , so an hour or two after such rain it is still very easy to light a fire. Once sap in twiggy woody material (or cut grass and weeds) has had time to dry out, the inner stuff stays dryish as raindrops just trickle down the outside. Most modern folk don’t realise that, hence their reliance on manufactured firelighters - horrible things and usually unnecessary.

 

The KWVR and the Embsay & Bolton Abbey have reverted to diesel power this weekend too.

 

Two bursts of rain reached parts of Kent in the early hours this morning. My first rain in Mid-Kent since 2 mm on 30 June.

So 46 dry days.

How much fell here in mid-Kent overnight? My rain gauges didn't quite record 1 mm! Sheerness got circa 2 mm and other places may have got slightly more.

Not much more than the dews we have been getting over the last few days. But I hope it is a start on what I feel could be a very long road to recovery for all purposes, and for any form of steam operation returning to my local heritage lines. I just hope they can hang on there with heritage diesel operations that keep the customers arriving.

Bryan