With temperatures set to soar over the next few days, it is likely that there will be some restrictions in place to areas of open access land across England and Wales as the fire severity index reaches ‘exceptional’.

Access authorities have a number of Directions in place to legally facilitate the closure of CROW access land and which are automatically activated when the Fire Severity Index (FSI) records ‘exceptional’ conditions.  The Met Office's FSI is an assessment of how severe a fire could become if one were to start.

Please note that any closures do not apply to public rights of way, only Access Land which is shown on OS 1:25,000 Explorer maps in a yellow wash or in a light green wash on woodlands.  Details of these restrictions will be shown on NE’s open access portal and Natural Resources Wales – please do respect these temporary closures.

As temperatures soar, the probability of wild fires also increases. A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire across a large span of countryside in areas such as heathland or moorland, fields and woodlands.

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The involvement of the public is a vital factor in preventing the damage that wild fires can cause.  Early reporting of a fire is essential and anyone seeing a fire should dial 999 to notify the Fire Service.

Walkers can act as a useful fire watch and give early notice of the danger particularly if carrying a mobile phone. Accurate information on the location with map reference or bearing can save precious time.

Finally, please consider planning your route, choose an area with lots of shade and carry lots of water! More information can be found on the NHS website

READ MORE: 5 myths debunked about hill walking in the heat 

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