Margaret Mullane MP Calls for Urgent Wildfire Task Force After Havering Hit by Record Number of Grass Fires
The Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham Margaret Mullane has called for an urgent multi-agency task force to tackle the growing threat of wildfires across Havering after the borough experienced its worst day for grass fires this summer.
Following a series of major fires that have swept across the borough in recent weeks, Margaret Mullane has written to Havering Council Leader Councillor Keith Prince and the council’s Chief Executive Andrew Blake-Herbert, urging them to immediately establish a dedicated ‘task and finish’ group to address the ongoing crisis.
In a letter sent from her office, the Margaret said:
“Given the range of fires that have been affecting large parts of Havering, Margaret asks that the Council quickly sets up a ‘task and finish’ group consisting of Council leadership, the borough’s three MPs, the Borough London Fire Brigade Commander and the Metropolitan Police to share intelligence on the fires and work on a strategy to tackle the outbreak of wildfires in the borough. This should also include an audit of maintenance schedules for overgrown verges and other council-owned land in areas with heightened fire risk.”
The call comes after Havering recorded 47 fire-related incidents on Wednesday 29 July, the hottest day of the year, with many of those incidents occurring in Rainham, which falls within Margaret Mullane’s constituency.
Despite temperatures easing slightly, firefighters have continued to battle blazes across the borough. Yesterday, crews were once again called to fires in Ingrebourne Valley, while another large grass fire broke out on Berwick Pond Road, highlighting the continuing risk posed by the prolonged hot and dry conditions.
The proposed task force would bring together Havering Council, the borough’s three Members of Parliament, the London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police to share intelligence, identify areas at greatest risk and develop a coordinated strategy aimed at preventing future wildfires.
The proposal also calls for a review of how often overgrown verges and other council-owned land are maintained, particularly in locations where dry vegetation could increase the risk of fires spreading rapidly.
This summer has seen firefighters across Havering respond to an unprecedented number of grass fires, with crews working tirelessly to protect homes, businesses, wildlife and open spaces from fast-moving blazes.
Margaret Mullane believes a coordinated approach is now essential to ensure the borough is better prepared for what are becoming increasingly frequent summer wildfires.
As investigations continue into the causes of many of the recent fires, the MP is urging all agencies to work together to reduce the risk of future incidents and improve resilience across Havering.
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what a good idea and when the task force isn’t required they could assist farmers with crop watering when needed
Good luck with that, Margaret, given that the council and one of the borough’s MPs are controlled by their self-appointed CEO to oppose any initiative aimed at combating climate change. They’re more likely to propose fracking in Bedfords Park than they are to grudgingly admit to the success of ULEZ.