Fire Crews Contain Blaze On Whitmoor Common That Has Affected About 30 Acres

Published on: 21 Jun, 2018
Updated on: 21 Jun, 2018

Fire crews damping down the fire on Whitmoor Common Thursday evening, June 21 (the longest day) at about 9.15pm. Click on pictures to enlarge.

Story and pictures by David Rose

About 30 acres of heathland on Whitmoor Common has been burned by a fire today (Thursday, June 21).

This evening fire crews were still at the scene damping down and were expected to remain there all night.

The crews were using a number of Land Rovers and other specialist vehicles with water supplied by a tanker in the Salt Box Road car park.

The blaze started at about 1pm and quickly spread. Smoke could be seen rising from the common at Worplesdon from other parts of Guildford and the smell of burning was in the air.

The Guildford Dragon NEWS visited Salt Box Road this afternoon (that borders the common), but did not wish to enter the common and disturb fire crews while the fire was not yet under control, and for obvious reasons of safety.

It is believed that during the afternoon more than 50 firefighters were on site. Crews who attended included personnel from Guildford, Woking, Cranleigh, Egham and Godstone fire stations.

The fire has been contained within an area that is roughly off Salt Box Road towards the A322 Worplesdon Road end of the common. The damping down is to extinguish burning that continues beneath the ground.

During the afternoon Surrey Fire & Rescue used a drone to assess the extent of the fire, while police officers were on patrol at the Salt Box Road car park, with the public warned to stay away from the fire.

Whitmoor Common is an area of lowland heath that supports a wide variety of wildlife that includes a number of rare and / or unusual species of birds, insects, mammals and fauna. Once the extent of the blaze is known, wildlife experts and conservationists will no doubt be seeking to find out how much these have been affected.

The water tanker parked in the Salt Box Road car park.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. A Surrey Fire & Rescue spokesman said: “The lack of rain and tinder box dry conditions provide the perfect recipe for wildfires. These blazes can start for all sorts of reasons – a discarded match, a misplaced cigarette or a bonfire can be all it takes to spark a wildfire. A moment of carelessness could result in devastation to the countryside and lives being put at risk so please take extra care.”

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