据悉，英国政府悄然取消了旨在提升乡村地区应对野火能力的计划。尽管最新数据显示，消防人员并未配备应对野火所需的防护装备，该计划仍被搁置。
The government quietly scrapped plans to prepare the countryside in England for wildfires, it has been revealed. This was despite new data showing fire crews do not have the proper protective gear to tackle them.
今年夏季再次警示了气候危机带来的巨大威胁：极端炎热干燥的天气使得英国大片乡村地区极易引发火灾，各地接连出现创纪录的野火事件。
This summer has been a potent reminder of the scale of the threat posed by the climate crisis, with the UK experiencing record-breaking wildfires after punishingly hot and dry weather turned large parts of the countryside into a tinderbox.
在2023年7月发布的第三份国家气候适应计划中，时任首相里希·苏纳克领导的保守党政府曾承诺，将于2023年至2027年间在英格兰推行野火风险应对计划，以调整土地管理方式来应对这一风险。
In the third national climate adaptation programme, published in July 2023, the Conservative government, then headed by Rishi Sunak said it would run a wildfire risk programme in England from 2023 to 2027 so land management would be adapted for the risk.
然而如今有消息证实，该计划从未付诸实施。现任政府表示：“这一承诺虽由前任政府提出，但并未实际执行。”
However, it has now emerged the programme was never implemented, with the current government stating the commitment “was made by the previous government but was not brought into effect”.
通过信息自由法案获取相关信息的环保活动家兼作家盖伊·什鲁布索尔指出，政府“直到今年夏季英国多地发生野火才开始重视相关风险，这种行为实在令人震惊”。
The environmental campaigner and author Guy Shrubsole, who obtained the information via a freedom of information request, said it was “appalling” the government “couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to wildfire risks until jolted into doing so by Britain burning this summer”.
今年8月，西米德兰兹郡斯托尔布里奇地区发生野火，多栋民宅受到威胁。事后，首相安迪·伯纳姆紧急召开“眼镜蛇”应急会议，并颁布一次性烧烤架临时禁售令，但此举被批评为力度不足且为时过晚。
After a wildfire spread across an area including several homes in Stourbridge in the West Midlands in August, the prime minister, Andy Burnham, convened an emergency Cobra meeting and issued a temporary ban on the sale of disposable barbecues criticised as being too little too late.
什鲁布索尔强调：“历届政府在应对气候危机影响方面都严重失职。”
“Successive governments have been asleep at the wheel in preparing us for the impacts of the climate crisis,” Shrubsole said.
苏格兰自由民主党议员、下议院环境、食品与农村事务委员会主席阿利斯泰尔·卡迈克尔指出，政府未能将防范野火风险列为优先事项实在令人担忧。“这不禁让人深思：倘若当年投入更多资源，今年夏季的野火情况是否会大不相同？”他补充道。
Alistair Carmichael, a Scottish Liberal Democrat MP and the chair of the Commons environment food and rural affairs committee, said it was alarming that ministers had not prioritised work to adapt land for wildfire risk. “It begs further serious questions about whether this summer’s wildfires could have looked different with more resources on the ground,” he added.
舒布索尔指出，政府必须制定相关计划，重新湿润英国的泥炭沼泽、修复农田中消失的池塘，并禁止红松鸡栖息地所有者随意纵火焚烧荒原。
Shrubsole said the government must agree a plan to re-wet the UK’s peat bogs, restore lost ponds in farmers’ fields, and stop grouse moor owners setting fire to moorland.
英国乡村土地与商业协会获得的最新数据还显示，在回复信息查询的29支消防队伍中，超过半数缺乏应对野火所需的个人防护装备。
New data obtained by the Country Land and Business Association has also revealed that more than half of the 29 fire services that responded to requests for information had no wildfire personal protective equipment (PPE).
其中包括萨福克郡消防局——今年夏季该局曾处置一场“近乎灾难性”的野火，大火一度逼近赛兹韦尔B核电站，还烧毁了大片受保护的自然保护区。普通的颗粒物过滤式呼吸器无法抵御野火烟雾中大量存在的一氧化碳等危险气体。
They included the Suffolk fire and rescue service, which had to deal with an “apocalyptic” wildfire earlier this summer that burned close to the Sizewell B nuclear power station and destroyed vast areas of a protected nature reserve Standard particle-filtering respirators do not protect against dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide, which are heavily present in wildfire smoke.
在野火环境下，常规个人防护装备往往过于厚重闷热，极易导致消防人员体温过高，甚至不得不脱下装备，从而面临高温、烟雾及辐射带来的更大风险。
Standard PPE can also be too hot and heavy for wildfire conditions. This can cause crews to overheat, or remove their PPE altogether, exposing them to greater danger from heat, smoke and radiation.
数据还显示，针对野火的专项培训十分有限。例如，克利夫兰地区仅有5名工作人员（占比1.2%）具备提供战术指导或指挥野火扑救的资质；柴郡地区接受过野火处置培训的员工比例仅为8.62%。
The data also revealed that training for wildfires was limited. For example, in Cleveland just five staff (1.2%) were qualified to give tactical advice or command wildfires, and in Cheshire just 8.62% of employees were trained to undertake wildfire operations.
针对上述情况，英国消防工会呼吁为所有参与野火扑救的队员配备合规的个人防护装备，并配套开展充足的专项培训。
In response to these findings, the Fire Brigades Union is calling for correct PPE to be provided to all members combating wildfires, alongside adequate training programmes.
工会秘书长史蒂夫·赖特表示：“提升我国的山火应对能力，关键在于加强土地管理、开展更有效的公众宣传以及实施长期预防措施。唯有加大投入并制定科学的山火防治战略，我们才能让国家具备更强的抗灾能力。”
Steve Wright, the union’s general secretary, said: “It is vital for our country’s wildfire resilience to have better land management, stronger public awareness campaigns and long-term prevention measures. Only by proper investment and a wildfire strategy can we make the country more resilient.”
政府发言人称：“我们已将山火防范工作列为政府优先事项。鉴于今年夏季发生的多起山火事件，我们正计划与消防及救援机构共同召开峰会，力求全面提升国家的抗灾水平。具体措施包括确保各机构配备必要的装备与资源，同时继续投入资金用于国家防灾设施的升级——此前我们已拨款1亿英镑用于相关建设。”
A government spokesperson said: “We have made wildfire preparedness a government priority and, following incidents this summer, we are convening a summit with fire and rescue service partners to make sure we are as resilient as possible. This includes making sure services have the right equipment and resources, building on the £100m we previously gave to upgrade our national resilience assets.
“土地管理与生态环境调整在此进程中发挥着重要作用。我们与土地管理者及专家紧密合作，致力于泥炭地修复、防火带建设以及其他有助于防止山火发生或蔓延的适应性措施。”
“Land management and landscape adaptation play an important part in this, and we work closely with land managers and experts to support the restoration of peatlands, the creation of firebreaks and other adaptations that help to prevent fires from starting or from spreading as quickly during incidents.”