West Midlands wildfires spreading to houses

[Alex Z]

Probably the biggest one is in Stourbridge with multiple houses burnt out by a fire that started not too far from the golf course, there's another in Pershore, Stoke On Trent, Walsall and Salford Priors, all having spread to buildings.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cmdx7p1q02yrt

I expect there's a lot of people looking at nearby fields and feeling quite nervous this evening, and I'm still seeing idiots on line claiming "It's just summer"

[miniman]

We have a decision to make - whether we cross our fingers and hope it’s an anomaly, or start to make adjustments so we can operate in a different climate.

That might be capturing and storing more water, engineering our railways differently, taking personal responsibility for not starting fires, stopping single use BBQs and Chinese lanterns, fitting AC by default in homes and schools and so forth. The alternative is wringing our hands and sending thoughts and prayers. I have a bloody good idea which it will be.

[Alex Z]

Pretty sure I can smell the smoke in Bromsgrove now

[LHRFlightman]

I've got a feeling we're watching climate change in the same way the dinosaurs watched the approaching asteroid.

While I don't think humans will be going the same way, our way of life is under threat and we have to make some serious changes.

[miniman]

LHRFlightman said:

I've got a feeling we're watching climate change in the same way the dinosaurs watched the approaching asteroid.

While I don't think humans will be going the same way, our way of life is under threat and we have to make some serious changes.

100%

[chrisgtx]

I’d love to see arsonists getting huge jail sentences.

[Landlubber]

LHRFlightman said:

I've got a feeling we're watching climate change in the same way the dinosaurs watched the approaching asteroid.

While I don't think humans will be going the same way, our way of life is under threat and we have to make some serious changes.

Too late now buddy, anyhow, how much carbon is spewing into the atmosphere from global wildfires about now? I give it 50 years max before it all comes apart at the seams.

[Alex Z]

chrisgtx said:

I d love to see arsonists getting huge jail sentences.

If anyone is caught and convicted, expect them to be dealt with quickly and severely, just like the hotel rioters.

[NDA]

chrisgtx said:

I d love to see arsonists getting huge jail sentences.

Yes there's a lot of chatter about this being 'kids' setting fire to fields rather than being a consequence of global warming.

I know France has arrested something like 400 people who are accused of arson - 160 are minors.

[Randy Winkman]

NDA said:

chrisgtx said:

I d love to see arsonists getting huge jail sentences.

Yes there's a lot of chatter about this being 'kids' setting fire to fields rather than being a consequence of global warming.

I know France has arrested something like 400 people who are accused of arson - 160 are minors.

Cant it be both? People are setting the fires but there is more dry stuff to burn because of the weather and possibly climate change?

[Alex Z]

NDA said:

chrisgtx said:

I d love to see arsonists getting huge jail sentences.

Yes there's a lot of chatter about this being 'kids' setting fire to fields rather than being a consequence of global warming.

I know France has arrested something like 400 people who are accused of arson - 160 are minors.

I expect some will have been, but they couldn’t set fire to fields if it wasn’t so dry.

Some kids have always enjoyed setting fire to stuff, but it didn’t have those consequences.

[Mr Penguin]

NDA said:

Yes there's a lot of chatter about this being 'kids' setting fire to fields rather than being a consequence of global warming.

I know France has arrested something like 400 people who are accused of arson - 160 are minors.

The heat and drought make it easier for a small mistake with a disposable barbecue to have big consequences. Not necessarily someone with a match who intends to set fire to many acres at once.

[Blue Oval84]

Saw the aerial footage of this and was gobsmacked at how dispersed the burned houses were, some didn't even look to be right up against the field, I had expected it to be a row of terraces but many of them look to be huge detached mansions.

Can only imagine it was burning embers but given our housing stock is largely brick and tile, I guess they will have lit nearby trees that spread to the houses.

[Downward]

Alex Z said:

Probably the biggest one is in Stourbridge with multiple houses burnt out by a fire that started not too far from the golf course, there's another in Pershore, Stoke On Trent, Walsall and Salford Priors, all having spread to buildings.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cmdx7p1q02yrt

I expect there's a lot of people looking at nearby fields and feeling quite nervous this evening, and I'm still seeing idiots on line claiming "It's just summer"

Yes a bit too close for comfort. But the field has been harvested a month early but we haven’t had any rain for well over a month now.

My son works near the fires at Hagley and from his work he could see the fire and it was just 3 fields away.
From some pics I have seen it seems the fire was very close to the maintenance shed at the golf course.

[NerveAgent]

Randy Winkman said:

NDA said:

chrisgtx said:

I d love to see arsonists getting huge jail sentences.

Yes there's a lot of chatter about this being 'kids' setting fire to fields rather than being a consequence of global warming.

I know France has arrested something like 400 people who are accused of arson - 160 are minors.

Cant it be both? People are setting the fires but there is more dry stuff to burn because of the weather and possibly climate change?

I think people have convinced themselves arson is a new phenomenon, so it must just be that. Yep.

[Randy Winkman]

Blue Oval84 said:

Saw the aerial footage of this and was gobsmacked at how dispersed the burned houses were, some didn't even look to be right up against the field, I had expected it to be a row of terraces but many of them look to be huge detached mansions.

Can only imagine it was burning embers but given our housing stock is largely brick and tile, I guess they will have lit nearby trees that spread to the houses.

Gee whizz! It's hard to imagine how that is even possible.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cmdx7p1q02yrt

[DeejRC]

Try having a thatched roof and worrying…
Do I have water capture tanks? Damn skippy I do!

[JoshSm]

Looked like quite a lot of stuff busy burning with minimal/no firefighting going on?

Grass fire setting light to stuff in gardens which then got big/hot enough to spread to houses/cars/garages, and all looking like it was happening quite slowly; houses down to a shell by the time things like the garages finally went up.

Any fire will burn a lot of stuff without intervention.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Alex Z said:

Probably the biggest one is in Stourbridge with multiple houses burnt out by a fire that started not too far from the golf course, there's another in Pershore, Stoke On Trent, Walsall and Salford Priors, all having spread to buildings.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cmdx7p1q02yrt

I expect there's a lot of people looking at nearby fields and feeling quite nervous this evening, and I'm still seeing idiots on line claiming "It's just summer"

But it also is people and companies not maintaining boundaries and fire breaks.

We have a wood out the back of our house and it's owned by a private company near by. For years I used to go over the back and cut back the overgrowth myself because this company would always say they'd come and do it and never did. Finally they got new management and they've been good at maintaining a gap by running a fairly big mower down it. However if there was a fire in there I think the taller overhanging trees would still end up spreading the fire to our property. There is a lot of dead wood in there that needs removing and the front row of trees needs significant trimming back or even removing. The fire break isn't big enough but it's been left so long now that it will cost them big cheddar to rectify. I worry about it every summer.

This situation must be repeated many times over in the UK.

[Alex Z]

Randy Winkman said:

Blue Oval84 said:

Saw the aerial footage of this and was gobsmacked at how dispersed the burned houses were, some didn't even look to be right up against the field, I had expected it to be a row of terraces but many of them look to be huge detached mansions.

Can only imagine it was burning embers but given our housing stock is largely brick and tile, I guess they will have lit nearby trees that spread to the houses.

Gee whizz! It's hard to imagine how that is even possible.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cmdx7p1q02yrt

The fire came across the field and into this woodland, then jumped over to the houses in Ounty John Lane. That’s one of the most expensive areas in Stourbridge.