Crews have attended a fire in Dane Valley Woods, Margate, today (August 5).
Three crews and a Utility Terrain Vehicle worked at the scene to extinguish the fire. Crews will return to dampen down any hotspots if needed.
A Kent Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Kent Fire and Rescue Service have been called to bushes alight on Dane Valley Road, Margate.
“Three fire engines and a UTV attended. Crews used main jets and wildfire equipment to extinguish the fire.”
Members of the Dane Valley Woods group are at the scene and will assess the damage when crews have completed operations.
The Dane Valley Woods group said: “Thanks to the quick reporting of the fire by local residents, and the swift actions by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS), the fire was contained and extinguished. They have now left site but will return to check for any hotspots.
“We estimate that approximately one acre of our 12 acre site was affected. It was the SE section containing a large area of mainly bramble.
“Thankfully no persons were harmed, although the widespread loss of habitat is devastating for the wildlife.
“We will be assessing the damage over the next few days and will let the local community know how they can assist with restoration and recovery.
“This is a stark reminder that in the current drought conditions, wildfires can spread very quickly, and everyone should be extra vigilant and keep fingers crossed for rain.”
Resident Daniel Barber, who took photos of the incident, praised the fire crews for their ‘quick and incredible’ response.
Ward councillor Jack Packman said: “A huge thank you to the fantastic crews from Kent Fire and Rescue Service, including the team from Margate and neighbouring stations, for their swift response to the fire in Dane Valley Woods this afternoon.
“Thanks to their quick action, the fire was brought under control rapidly and has now been fully extinguished.
“ A big thank you also to the local residents who acted quickly and alerted Kent Fire and Rescue Service. With the current hot weather and extremely dry conditions, the fire had the potential to spread much further.”
The woods previously suffered a fire in August 2022 which damaged around a quarter of the site. However, the burning also resulted in standing deadwood, an important habitat for many insects and birds, which the young woodland did not have before. It even led to the appearance of rare fungi a couple of years later.
Firefighters across Kent and Medway have been called to over 300 grass fires since the start of May, with more than 130 of those incidents in July alone.
Nick Scott, Assistant Director for Response at Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS), said: “During prolonged periods of hot weather, the ground can become extremely dry, which causes fires to start and spread quickly.
“And these types of fires can have devastating consequences on the pubic and environment, such as injuring or killing wildlife, destroying property and livelihoods, or even putting someone’s life at risk.
“They also require a huge amount of resources and while our crews are expertly trained and have specialist kit to respond to grass fires, they can be faced with working in difficult and hot conditions.
“Everyone can help to reduce the risk just by being responsible and taking extra care outdoors, so please do your bit to keep people safe.”
I was only saying about I had to close windows n doors hope it wasn’t arsonist
A big Thank you to the fire crews. Where would we be without them.