Cleveland Fire Brigade is encouraging residents to swap a ‘blazing’ BBQ for a ‘perfect’ picnic while enjoying the great outdoors. #BeAChampion and help them clamp down on deliberate and accidental fires in outdoor spaces this summer.
Whilst the Olympians will be out and about competing, we want you and your family to enjoy the great outdoors in a safe way that helps protect our communities, wildlife and nature, which is why we’re supporting picnics over BBQs this summer.
Our region has some of the most beautiful nature spots, from Roseberry Topping to Stewart Park, Guisborough Forest to Saltburn Beach. There are so many different landscapes to explore this summer. But these valuable sites are at considerable risk of fires if there are BBQs, so please don’t ‘baguette’ about a picnic when you’re planning a day out.
Craig Strike, Head of Prevention and Engagement at Cleveland Fire Brigade said:
“We need everyone who enjoys our gorgeous open spaces to work with us to help protect them. Wildfires that start with human intervention, either from a deliberate act or carelessness, can have a devastating impact on the area, so this summer we would encourage you to pack a picnic and take your litter home.”
Here are some of our top tips for enjoying a picnic in the many outdoor spaces across Cleveland:
- Get to a safe place and call 999 with as much information as possible
- Consider downloading and using What3Words to identify your exact location.
- You can also help by reporting any antisocial behaviour to the Police on 101.
- Take your rubbish home or place it in a suitable public bin
- Never throw cigarette ends out of car windows – they can ruin whole fields of crops, forest, or areas of natural beauty
The Olympic flame is the only fire we want to see this summer.
If you have any information on who is behind deliberate fires in your area, please get in touch via FireStoppers which is 100% anonymous. Alternatively, you can call them on 0800 169 5558.
Click here for more outdoor fire safety tips.
