The Nature and Woodland Agency has issued a Code Orange warning for forest and heath fires. The warning is applicable to all five Flemish provinces. The warning had been in force at publicly accessible woodlands, heathland and other areas of natural beauty in Antwerp and Limburg provinces since the weekend. It has now been extended to cover East and West Flanders and Flemish Brabant.
The long spell of dry weather has increased the risk of fire. The Agency ’s message is““Be careful, don’t smoke in woodland or nature reserves. Don’t leave your children unattended. Lighting fires is forbidden. If you see a fire or a suspicious plume of smoke, you should call 112 straight away”.
Those in charge of managing the region’s woodlands and nature reserves and the Fire Service are on the alert. In the event of a fire, the Fire Service will dispatch a greater number of fire fighters and more material than would usually be the case.
The warning and the measures that it entails is applicable to all areas of woodland and natural beauty that are managed by the Nature and Woodland Agency. However, the risk of fire breaking out is just as great in woodland and areas of natural beauty that are managed by municipal or provincial authorities and indeed on private land. So the message is clear “be careful!”.