Wildfires warnings.

[Toddy]

We have one already this year.....North East of Scotland.

Wildfire warning issued with parts of Scotland at 'very high' risk

The public has been urged not to light fires outdoors during the warning period

news.stv.tv

 

[Pattree]

Thanks Toddy.
What sort of areas are covered by the statement? Here in the midlands yesterday the woods were still sodden.

Easter used to be the major fire watch time for the Forestry Commission but that was mainly because of dry bracken.
Again, here in the midlands a lot of last year’s bracken is flattened and sodden by weeks of rain.

I don’t doubt the warning for one moment but I do wonder what is creating the risk up there.

 

[Toddy]

Lot of dry over wintered stuff. The new growth hasn't really gotten going well yet, but the dry stuff is tinderbox dry. We're actually the same here even though we've had a lot of rain. Even the rushes and reeds around my pond are dry and brittle. The understory outside my fence beneath the trees along the burn is everybit as dry.

I think you're right about Easter time, but we've warmed up surprisingly quickly this year.