Cornwall wildfires and drought push South West Water to act

Picture the ground after a wildfire has passed through. Blackened earth, smoke still hanging in the hedgerows, and a fire crew soaking the last hot patches with a hose. That is the scene playing out in pockets of the South West this summer, and it is why South West Water is now asking every household in Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly to think about how they use water while the dry spell drags on.

A park in Exeter, and a warning for the whole region

The fire at Mincinglake Valley Park in Exeter has now been brought under control, but not before an area roughly the size of 30 football pitches was destroyed. Most wildfires start with a human hand, a dropped cigarette, a barbecue, a spark from machinery, but the weather decides how far they run. Weeks of prolonged hot, dry conditions leave grass, gorse and scrub primed to catch, and once they do, they spread fast.

Firefighting and heatwaves are both draining the network

Fires like the one at Mincinglake do not just cost the emergency services in vehicles and crews. They pull hard on the water network too, on top of demand that is already climbing. This comes amid drought conditions across large parts of England, following what was provisionally the second warmest July on record for the UK. During those July heatwaves, demand in parts of Devon and Cornwall ran around 25 per cent higher a day than would normally be expected at this time of year, a combination of firefighting activity and ordinary customer use both spiking at once.

How the fire service is adapting

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says it is taking its own steps to keep enough water available for when it is needed most. A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: “To ensure water is available where it’s needed most, we are taking operational measures to protect our emergency response. This includes reducing non-essential water use across the Service, reviewing alternative water supplies used for firefighting, and carefully managing the use of open water sources to minimise environmental impacts.”

“At the same time, we’re ensuring our operational resources are ready to respond. This includes checking that water bowsers, 4×4 vehicles, ATVs, drones, leaf blowers, and other specialist wildfire equipment are fully operational and available should they be needed.”

What South West Water is asking of customers

South West Water says it continues to monitor conditions closely and is encouraging customers, businesses and visitors to the area to use water wisely until temperatures start to fall.

Sam Bottomley, Director of Drinking Water Services in Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, said: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the recent fires and we would like to thank the firefighters and emergency responders working tirelessly in extremely difficult conditions.”

“Incidents like this highlight the increasing pressures that prolonged periods of hot, dry weather can place on our natural environment. Building resilience to these new challenges requires action from all of us, from water companies and environmental organisations through to individual households. We are working hard to protect our water supplies across the network and we are asking customers to come together and reduce their water usage where possible until temperatures begin to drop,” Sam said.

Small changes that add up

South West Water says customers can help protect water resources with a few simple habits at home:

• Taking shorter showers
• Turning off the tap while brushing teeth
• Only using washing machines and dishwashers with full loads
• Fixing dripping taps and leaking toilets
• Collecting rainwater in a water butt for the garden
• Watering plants in the early morning or evening to cut evaporation

More detail is on South West Water’s Save Water page. For now, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says its bowsers, 4x4s, ATVs and drones are checked, fuelled and ready to move the moment another call comes in.