Fire destroys Fair Isle Bird Observatory

Hans J Marter

10 March 2019 20:49

THE WORLD famous bird observatory in Fair Isle was destroyed in a huge fire on Sunday.

The small island’s own fire crew was called out just before midday to a fire in the roof of the 10 year old wooden building.

They were quickly joined by a crew from Lerwick that had been flown to the island by the Coastguard helicopter.

A second crew from Lerwick and one from Sandwick were mobilised later on Sunday afternoon. Additional equipment was taken to Fair Isle by Lerwick lifeboat.

The blaze quickly spread from the roof to the whole building. By Sunday evening much of the building was destroyed while the fire was still burning.

Everybody has been accounted for and there are no injuries. There is uncertainty whether or not the records of 70 years of bird observation had been rescued from the building before the fire took hold.

Local politicians and birdwatchers have spoken of their horror at the devastation.

MSP Tavish Scott said the loss of the observatory was “a colossal blow” to the island.

“First and foremost it is a great relief that no one was hurt in the fire. The local volunteer fire crew and the teams flown in by helicopter from the Shetland mainland deserve great credit for tackling such a large fire,” he said.

 “My personal thoughts are with the brilliant staff who run the Obs and have lost all their possessions in today’s fire.

“Fair Isle has my full support in these difficult days as the impact on the entire island of losing the Obs becomes all too clear.”

President of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust, Roy Dennis, said in a tweet: “Absolutely tragic news – our famous Fair Isle Bird Observatory has been lost to fire.

“Thank goodness no loss of life but heartfelt sympathy to David, Susannah and family and the islanders. We will rebuild. We have lost much and will lose a year. Close to my heart – very very sad.”

The new Fair Isle Bird Observatory was only opened in June 2010 following a £4 million investment from a number of funding bodies including the trust that runs the observatory.

Source

What the fire near Saddleworth Moor means for wildlife

By Mary HaltonScience reporter, BBC News

28 June 2018

The fire near Saddleworth Moor now spans over seven square miles, and local residents have been evacuated from some of the worst affected areas.

But what does it mean for the wildlife that rely on the moor?

"It couldn't have happened at a worse time," says David Hunt, an Upland Conservation Officer with the RSPB.

"This time of year we're in the middle of the bird breeding season. So ground nesting birds will inevitably have been affected.

"You could potentially still have birds on eggs. Although it's starting to get quite late; some smaller birds might be on second clutches," he told BBC News.

Read on  

Peak District wild fire destroys dozens of bird nests

8 May 2018

A "devastating" wild fire has destroyed an estimated 40 to 50 bird nests and about 40 hectares of moorland.

Five members of the Peak District Moorland Group and 30 firefighters fought the blaze in the Goyt Valley, Derbyshire, after it broke out at about 18:00 BST on Sunday.

Gamekeeper Richard Bailey said fire crews at the scene thought it was started deliberately.

He said curlew, grouse, pipit, short-eared owl, and duck nests had gone.

Canadian goose and mallard nests were also destroyed in the fire and many grouse pairs, which are very territorial birds, were seen at the edge of the fire, Mr Bailey said.

On the fire service's records, the cause has not been recorded, however, Mr Bailey said the on-scene firefighters' assessment was that it was deliberate.

Mr Bailey said he also scanned the area where the fire started and there was no evidence of an accidental cause.

"I would be 85% to 90% sure that it was a deliberate attempt of arson," he said.

The gamekeeper, who went straight to the scene after smelling the smoke from his house, said: "It is a disaster."

Continued  

Bird blamed for starting fire after carrying lit cigarette butt to its nest

12:27pm Thursday 6th March 2014 in News

A bird carrying a lit cigarette to its nest is believed to have started a major fire in south London last night.

Fire investigators think the bird nicked the smouldering butt from the street below and dropped it into its nest in the roof area of the building in Stockwell, causing it to catch light.

Fire investigation officer Matt Cullen, who examined the scene, said: “When we got up into the roof, we were baffled as there were no obvious ignition sources – no one had been up to there for a long time and there were no electrics that could have sparked a blaze.

Continued

Surely not the bird, but the careless person who discarded the lit cigarette in the first place. 

Parkgate marsh fire destroys birds' habitat

A fire that broke out on marshland in Cheshire has destroyed the the habitat of many nesting birds and local wildlife, the RSPB has said.

The blaze began near The Anchorage in Parkgate, near Neston, on Sunday afternoon and spread across a large area towards The Parade.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews used beaters and hosereel jets to put the fire out by about 17:50 BST.

Police said the fire was believed to have been started deliberately.

A spokeswoman said: "Cheshire Police are keen to speak to anyone in the local area who may have witnessed anything that may assist the investigation, to contact Ellesmere Port and Neston Neighbourhood Policing Team."

Colin Wells, RSPB site manager on the Dee Estuary Reserve, said conditions on the marsh were very brittle and dry, meaning the fire spread quickly.

"Part of the reed bed had been burnt and there were substantial areas of rushbeds and saltmarsh vegetation," he said.

"It's always a problem at this time of year if we have a dry spell, and the cold easterly winds had dried the vegetation out."

He added: "The area is important for nesting birds like reed warblers, reed buntings and water rail. They have lost their nesting areas.

"We have also got harvest mice, so they have lost their habitat and probably a lot of them have been burnt or killed."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-22062958

Wis. couple says pet chicken alerted them to blaze

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Wisconsin couple says clucks, not fire trucks, helped them escape a blaze at their home.

Dennis Murawska, 59, said a pet chicken named Cluck Cluck woke his wife Susan Cotey, 52, with loud clucking from its cage in the basement two floors below about 6:15 a.m. Thursday. The couple's two cats also were running around the main floor.

Murawska said he had been half awake but didn't know about the fire because the smoke alarms hadn't gone off. He realized something was wrong when his wife got up.

"The chicken gets quite vocal when she gets excited," he said.

Cluck Cluck came from a nearby farm in Alma Center, about 135 miles east of Minneapolis, Murawska said. When the chicken began wandering over to his house, his neighbor said he could kill it because it wasn't producing any eggs. But Murawska felt sorry for Cluck Cluck because she had a mutated foot and decided to keep her. He fed the bird and built a coop, and then his wife let Cluck Cluck into the basement on cold nights.

"I spent way more money than I ever should've," Murawska said by telephone. "I guess it paid off."

The couple escaped, and firefighters found the chicken in its cage and one of the cats alive in the basement. Another cat hasn't been found and is presumed dead, Murawska said. The couple and their surviving cat checked into a Black River Falls hotel, while Cluck Cluck is staying with the neighbor who used to own her.

Alma Center Fire Chief Jeff Gaede said the fire started in the attic of the attached garage and was not suspicious. The house was a total loss, but it could have been worse — if not for the chicken.

"We are used to hearing about a dog or cat or something, but we never heard of a chicken waking up a resident for a fire," Gaede said. "That's pretty amazing."

http://news.yahoo.com/wis-couple-says-pet-chicken-alerted-them-blaze-165719848.html;_ylt=AoxsGkHKoADkT56YjQnJ4JztiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTNxYjVmajVpBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBPZGRVU1NGBHBrZwNkZGY3NjUzNy00MjliLTNjMzctYTIxNS05ZTlkZDFiM2U1ZjAEcG9zAzUEc2VjA3RvcF9zdG9yeQR2ZXIDNGI4OWQ4YzEtNTE0My0xMWUyLWE2YzYtNjRkZjhiYWEwODAx;_ylg=X3oDMTFtOW42ZDltBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lfG9kZARwdANzZWN0aW9ucw--;_ylv=3

Waituna Wetlands fire under control

A wildfire battled by fire crews at the Waituna wetlands since Monday night is under control but several species of rare birds are threatened by the damage.

It took five ground crews and three helicopters to bring the fire, which burnt through 498 hectares of the internationally-recognised wetlands, under control.

Several species of rarely sighted birds lived in the 500 hectares of the Waituna Wetlands Scientific Reserve destroyed by fire, with some of the birds nesting at the time of the blaze, experts say.

The rural fire authority's principal rural fire officer Mike Grant said although the flames had died down, there was still a lot of work needed to ensure the fire was completely out.

While weather conditions in Southland have been wet with average rainfall recorded, scrubby vegetation dries quickly after rain and can burn within two to three hours, even in cold conditions, he said.

''There will be crews out there today patrolling the fire perimeter and dampening down hot spots to ensure the fire is fully extinguished.''Fire investigators are continuing to examine the cause of the fire.

"This fire is an opportunity for people to think about what fire risks may be on their property.  Although this fire occurred in a wetland it could have occurred anywhere" Mr Grant said.

"Fine, dry scrubby vegetation can be found around home gardens, farmsland, hedges and dry dead grasses at any time of the year.''

The Awarua Wetlands, near Invercargill, is one of the largest remaining wetlands and is recognised for its biological diversity, cultural values and bird life.

Conservation Department Southern Islands area manager Andy Roberts, who is also the Southern Rural Fire District's incident controller, said bird species in the manuka bush and wetlands in the Awarua Bay area included bitterns, fernbirds and crakes.

Read on:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/7976282/Waituna-Wetlands-fire-under-control