Wildfire costs push fire service £620k over budget

The cost of tackling two major wildfires in summer has pushed a fire service over budget.

A meeting of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service's (DWFRS) Finance & Audit Committee – on which councillors from Swindon, Wiltshire, Dorset, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole scrutinise spending – heard that the service's projected overspend was £620,000.

The costs racked up as a result of two major blazes – at Holt Heath and another in Newton Heath – both in Dorset.

Firefighters from across DWFRS's 50 stations were involved in the response to the incidents.

Firefighters tackled a 62-acre (25-hectare) blaze at Newton Heath over 10 days from 3 August.

The same month, they had to fight a 177-acre (72-hectare) fire at Holt Heath which started on 9 August and involved more than 100 firefighters over six days.

The £597,000 bill for attending the two incidents was made up mainly of staff costs (£290,929) and the cost of support from neighbouring fire services (£227,251) with food and welfare (£23,096) and incidental costs for supplies, damaged equipment, and vehicles (£55,762) also appearing on the bill.

At a meeting of an all-party group of Wiltshire councillors in September, members were told the DWFRS had submitted a claim to cover the costs from the government through the Bellwin scheme.

The scheme provides emergency financial assistance to local authorities to help cover the costs incurred during emergencies or disasters.

The meeting also heard that the service wants to invest in a new Unimog – an off-road vehicle that can help tackle blazes in very rural areas - which would cost more than £420,000.

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