Not Often Seen in The United Kingdom

[Capn Notarious]

Helicopters being used to water bomb forest and heathland fires.

Now as always, the news editors consider that the lives of the hopeless and nobodies; are more important. So not much media coverage.
But to all those involved THANK YOU

Did any of you have time for pictures.
Would you like to tell us about it.

[Thomas coupling]

What is all this about, then?:confused:

[Palma]

Where and when were these forest and heathland fires?

[handyandyuk]

For those wondering what's it about... UK tv news today (sat 19/4) was showing heli attack firefighting on heath and forest fires currently raging in South Wales and Cornwall.
This included a few words from a certain Keith Thompson (he of Treasure Hunt fame). Personally I'd say his piece gave the impression of heliattack pilots as professional and highly capable. Hopefully will gain some points with the quick judging public.

More heath/forest fires are burning in Scotland although I have not noticed any mention of heliattack involvement in that area. One common thread... most of the fires are being reported as believed to be deliberately set.:mad:

HandyAndy...PPrune news..... in front of my telly.:rolleyes:

[Heliport]

South Wales http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39114000/jpg/_39114977_fire_wattsville203.jpg http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39117000/jpg/_39117245_fire203.jpg


Forest and hill fires are still burning in several parts of the UK, after the hoped-for rain failed to arrive and put them out.
The recent dry weather and high winds have been blamed for the spread of fires throughout the UK.

And although many fires had been extinguished or had died out by Saturday evening, some in Wales and Scotland were still causing concern.

Fire crews were battling a 10-mile wall of heath fire at Salen near Fort William, although no homes were in immediate danger.

Firefighters in the Western Isles had to pull away from a blaze on the Barvas moor on Lewis for their own safety, after winds picked up and changed direction.

Crews were also still monitoring a blaze in Leverburgh on the Isle of Harris. But an eight-mile-square forest fire near Darvel - the biggest of its kind in the area for decades - appeared to be under control after keeping Ayrshire crews at full stretch for some hours.

In Wales, a fire at Baglan, near Port Talbot - where several homes were evacuated on Friday night - was still being attended by eight crews on Saturday evening.

A spokeswoman for Mid and West Wales Fire Service said: "There are other fires all over the place. Unfortunately it is still quite dry and we are hoping for rain tomorrow."

A spokeswoman for Gwent and South Wales fire service said: "It is the volume of grass fires that is the problem... it is difficult to cope with all the fires at once. Light showers will not be enough to stop them."

Earlier, five people were arrested over a grass fire near the village of Llaneradach near Caerphilly. They have been released on police bail pending further enquires.

South Wales fire crews said many of the hundreds of fires reported appeared to have been started deliberately by children.

There are other fires all over the place - unfortunately it is still quite dry and we are hoping for rain tomorrow

In England, moorland fires in Staffordshire and Derbyshire's Peak District had been damped down by Saturday evening.

And In Northern Ireland, firefighters had dealt with most of the 500 gorse fires reported in less than 24 hours - five times the usual amount for this time of year.

Forecasters said the weather was expected to turn on Sunday, with winds dying down and heavier showers spreading across the country.

Large-scale fires that broke out in Dorset, Cornwall and Surrey had been extinguished by Saturday.

[Thomas coupling]

I wonder what our brethren from California and Australia think of our 'bush' fires:)

[Bright-Ling]

wonder what our brethren from California and Australia think of our 'bush' fires

....no doubt they are bigger, better, faster, more lethal and even hotter!

(Only joking chaps!)

well done to the crews anyway.