24/08/2026
FIRE - Again!
All of us living in Wrotham/Ightham/Borough Green/Kemsing have just had a seriously near miss with an arson fire. One of our team, Ali, thank GOD smelt smoke as he was heading home and he called Martin and the two of them found a fire that had been deliberately set along the pilgrims’ way byway. This is the fourth time there has been a fire deliberately set in that area this year. This time it has taken the fire brigade 2 hours to put it out, and has involved the St Clere team staying at work hours late to assist. The team also brought water down from where it was on standby at Camp Wildfire. Let alone the wasted time of our heroic fire brigade.
If anyone knows who is setting these fires, the time has come to report them to the police. At any time arson is incredibly dangerous, right now it is even worse. Today we have avoided a fire that could have been as bad as the fires we have seen across the country causing catastrophic damage to homes and property, injury and serious physical repercussions to communities from the smoke. But for the care and commitment of the team here, moments later that fire would have taken hold of the bone dry fields full of what is essentially kindling and nothing would have stopped them spreading to all the villages around.
⚠️ Wildfire risk is currently very high due to the prolonged hot and dry weather.
If you're enjoying the outdoors this weekend, please take extra care - Avoid anything that could start a fire, including barbecues, campfires and discarded ci******es
If you spot a fire, move to safety and call 999 immediately.
Thank you for helping protect our communities, wildlife and natural spaces.