An emergency alert over wildfires sparked panic across the UK on Friday evening, prompting fire services to issue a plea to the public.
Alert Sparks Panic
The UK's mobile phone alert system was used at 7pm on August 14 to warn people not to light anything which could spark a wildfire, including barbecues and garden incinerators. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told members of the public to take the warning “seriously” and said it was triggered at the request of firefighters.
But the alert prompted panic and confusion among many, including Wales residents who said they initially received the warning only in Welsh.
Public Reaction
One X user named Katherine wrote: "Most people in Wales do not speak Welsh. Sending an emergency alert in Welsh and then sending one in English five minutes later could be life or death. Everyone on my road had five minutes of panic."
Another social media user replied: "Not sending the alert at all would have reduced the panic. It didn’t need to be an emergency alert, a simple A5 flyer would have been good enough."
Morgan also wrote on X: "I shouldn’t panic because I just got sent an emergency alert (which should be reserved for imminent threats to life) to my phone, with an alarm that scared me half to death, in a language I don’t understand?"
Another user who first received the alert in Welsh said: "I only had it in Welsh for ten mins so had no idea what was going on. With a lot of wildfires near by we were really panicking."
Matthew, responding to Mr Burnham's social media message, wrote: "Utter misuse of the emergency alert system. It's surely best reserved for imminent emergencies. This caused unnecessary panic. If the alert system is used too much, it'll lose its intended value. Work need on your messaging."
Support for Alert
However, other social media users argued the alert may have helped lower the risks of new fires. One wrote: "There will have been many people about to start a bbq this evening or tomorrow who now won’t. If one or a handful of them would have caused a devastating fire but now won’t then the message is worth it. Prevention is better than cure."
Fire Services Plea
This morning, hours after the alert was sent, fire services urged people not to call 999 to report people having barbecues unless there is an emergency. Surrey Fire & Rescue Service was among those experiencing a “high volume” of 999 calls.
In a statement on X, the service said: “Please only call 999 if there is an emergency or a fire producing significant smoke. “We understand residents may be concerned, but we are unable to respond to reports of neighbours having BBQs, bonfires or campfires in their gardens unless there is an emergency.”
The service said it supported the Government’s message and advised against bonfires, fireworks, campfires or disposable barbecues in the dry conditions.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service said it appreciated the public’s “vigilance”, but in a statement on Facebook asked people to call 999 only if there is “a genuine emergency or an immediate risk to life, property or the environment”.
That message was echoed by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, who asked for 999 calls only to report “a new emergency”.
