"Heightened risk" of wildfires in Guernsey

Thursday, 9 July 2026 10:45

By Euan Mahy

As the third heatwave of the year sears the island, people are told to be careful about causing a fire inadvertently.

Guernsey Fire and Rescue want islanders to be extra careful over the coming days.

Sark too has weighed in, and will not accept rubbish for burning at Les Laches given the risk of fire spreading.

The heatwave, combined with strengthening easterly winds by Friday (10 July), could present a real hazard to dried-up gardens, cliff land, and L'Ancresse Common.

Barbeques, especially the disposable ones, are an obvious danger, as are discarded cigarette butts or lighting a garden fire.

But Chief Fire Officer Les Britzman says the intense sun can create less obvious risks:

"Vases or makeup mirrors on a window ledge in the sun can focus the sunshine into a spot, where there might be something flammable, like a curtain and fires have been started that way, so close curtains or move glass or mirrors from windows that are exposed to the sunshine."

Compost heaps that are in full sun can generate core heat quickly and are a potential hidden hazard, so the advice is to turn them regularly.

There have been a number of fires recently, which the Service said had the potential to be more serious.

Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services are part of the campaign to 'stop the spark' and David Hubert says a wildfire, even on a small scale, can be devastating to flora and fauna:

"Our countryside is one of the Bailiwick's greatest assets and fires can cause lasting damage to habitats, wildlife and landscapes, which may take years to recover."