{"id":46176,"date":"2026-07-30T09:55:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T09:55:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.get-licensed.co.uk\/get-daily\/?p=46176"},"modified":"2026-07-30T09:55:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T09:55:53","slug":"wildfire-risk-at-uk-events","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.get-licensed.co.uk\/get-daily\/wildfire-risk-at-uk-events\/","title":{"rendered":"Wildfire Risk At UK Events: What Security Officers Must Do On Shift"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’re working an outdoor event this August, there’s something worth knowing before you clock in: a UK festival has already had a real wildfire scare this summer. This isn’t a headline from across the globe. This happened at Dorset, at a festival not all that different from the one you might be working next weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s what you need to know about wildfire risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Actually Happened At Rustic Stomp<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On 18 July, a heathland fire broke out<\/a> near the Rustic Stomp festival at Knolle Farm in Wareham, Dorset. An area of heathland about the size of a football pitch went up close to the campsite. Festival-goers grabbed their tents and moved their cars clear as the fire crews arrived. One person needed treatment for smoke inhalation. Just over three hours later, it was over, and the festival carried on the next day like nothing had happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nobody panicked, nobody got seriously hurt, and the event didn’t even shut down. Honestly, that’s the reassuring bit. This wasn’t a disaster; it was a fire that got handled quickly because people around it kept their heads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s the standard worth aiming for, not some worst-case evacuation scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So What Does This Actually Mean For You On Shift?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While not a huge amount changes about your job, there are a few things that are worth having front of mind if you’re working anywhere with dry grass, heathland, or campsites nearby this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The big one: it’s not your call whether to evacuate. That decision belongs to the fire service and police once they’re there. What actually falls on you is getting people moving away from danger calmly, and getting accurate information to whoever needs to call it in \u2014 fast<\/em>. Where it is, what’s burning, what’s nearby, roughly how many people are around. You don’t need every detail sorted before you say something; a rough picture radioed in quickly beats a perfect one radioed in late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other thing worth taking seriously, even if it feels like a small ask: actually enforce the no-naked-flames rule, all shift, not just when someone’s obviously being reckless. Disposable barbecues, camping stoves, and dropped cigarettes near dry grass are how nearly every one of these fires starts. It’s not glamorous work, but it’s probably the single most useful thing you can do to stop this becoming your problem in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re new to working an outdoor event full stop, our guide to working festival security shifts<\/a> is worth a read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What To Actually Keep An Eye Out For<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You don’t need to be a fire expert to catch most of this early. Mostly it’s just paying attention to the same things you’d notice anyway:<\/p>\n\n\n\n