RAF Fylingdales: MP urges Government to ensure critical infrastructure protected in case of future fires
The Scarborough and Whitby MP Alison Hume has said the Government should consider its response to possible future fires near RAF Fylingdales.
In August, a major incident was declared when a fire broke out on Langdale Moor, near the ballistic missile early warning base at RAF Fylingdales and, at its height, covered nearly 25 sq km.
An investigation is currently under way to determine the cause of the fire, but the Labour MP has urged the Government to consider its response when “critical infrastructure” is at risk.
Alison Hume said the activation of a national resilience response should be considered in the future.
Speaking at a meeting of the Scarborough and Whitby area committee on Friday, September 19, she said: “Having gone up to the site on day nine and seen how close the fire got to RAF Fylingdales, I’m going to be asking the Government whether a national resilience [response] should be triggered when a critical military facility is within scope of the fire.
“I saw for myself the line that the firefighters fought to keep the fire from jumping the track and getting onto RAF Fylingdale’s land, where the heather was waist high.
“That’s my own opinion, and I want to say that for the record, that’s something I’m doing in Government.”
RAF Fylingdales, on the North Yorkshire coast in Pickering, provides a continuous ballistic missile early warning service to the UK and US Governments.
Approximately 320 Service Personnel, Ministry of Defence Police, and civilian staff work at the site.
Speaking at Friday’s meeting, Ms Hume also placed on record her “sincere thanks to the farmers, the water tanker drivers, the landowners, the gamekeepers and the volunteers who worked together to incredibly contain this fire, which was 20 square kilometres”.
The impact of the fire was also discussed at a meeting of the North York Moors National Park Authority on Monday, September 22.
National Park officials noted that the major incident was declared “on account of the spread of the wildfire out of the forest and that was partly because of the risk of the fire moving west towards RAF Fylingdales, which is of course a piece of critical infrastructure for the UK and beyond”.
A report presented at the meeting stated that the impact on the historic environment of the fire site will be “severe” and while figures had not been confirmed, “in the region of 21 scheduled monuments lie within the areas affected by the fire and associated engineering works”.