Enfield Climate Action Forum's online meeting on Wednesday 30th September will feature guests with expert knowledge of the increasing threat that wildfires present to both rural and urban communities.
Wildfires pose a rapidly growing and severe threat to urban settings, particularly at the rural-urban interface where expanding cities meet dry vegetation and green spaces. Any housing expansion in this area, like Crews Hill for example, would pose a risk. One commentator has said - " We need an urgent conversation about what extreme heat will mean for our flammable urban environments and how prepared and resourced our fire and rescue services are.”
Guest presenters
Philip Swallow is the Borough Commander for Enfield and is proud of the work our firefighters do in the borough and with the local community. He will join us to discuss what Enfield is doing about wildfires in and at the edge of our Borough.
Andrew Holtzhausen also works with Philip in the Enfield Fire Service. He will also join us to tell us about his experience as well. Andrew has also worked for the South African Fire Service and so contributes with his experience there as well.
Richard Boniface is from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service where they have considerable experience of wildfires. Bushfires are a regular occurrence in Australia and over the years have killed over 800 people. Millions of Australians living on the edges of major cities face a growing threat from grassfires and urban-interface bushfires as climate conditions worsen. This is now beginning to happen in the UK. Richard will tell us what we can learn from Australia's experience.