A forest fire near the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) was attended by 100 fire fighters from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service with some remaining overnight on 20 July.
The fire, just 2km (1.2 miles) from the nuclear weapons site follows another in nearby Mortimer the previous week.
The causes have not yet been established.
West Berkshire Emergency Planning Department were contacted about the fires and when local communities might be warned. A Duty Officer told us both fires were dealt with by Hampshire and Royal Berkshire fire services with no impacts raised for the local communities or the AWE site. He commented, “With respect to AWE we and they have a close working relationship with the site as they are part of the Off-Site Planning Group and they, along with HIOWFRS (Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service) do exercises with AWE FRS (Fire and Rescue Service). Therefore, they know the site and the activation points of contact should they need to do so.”
Although the fire was just over the border into Hampshire and close to the AWE site in Berkshire the Royal Berkshire Fire Service were not informed about the Tadley fire.
With strong winds a forest fire can travel 2km in ten minutes.
Photo credits: NIS