Just seen the local news and fire services are trying to put out several fires around swinley!

Again? Caught fire a week or two back as well.

report here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-13264201

Not surprised, very hot and dusty on the weekend.

Yea, went for a walk yesterday, the fire was on the heath in the NW corner, thankfully the wind was blowing towards the road not the lookout as the forrest was pretty busy.

There’s now aerial footage on the BBC news website. 😯

Edit: sounds as though we all have to keep away. 🙁

The Look Out and Coral Reef I think are still closed.

When we rode the other day there were a number of those burning Chinese lanterns flying over….

Yes how annoying!
I was on my way there for my 1st visit when I was phoning a mate to pick him up and he told me, doh! Glad I never drove all the way. Hope its put out soon and not too much damage is done..

Saw the smoke from work and thought it was clouds at first as there was so much 😯

I went for a quick spin over at Caesars camp behind Fleet this evening and you can see the smoke from the ‘lookout’ up there. Lot’s of it too.

It’s on Mrs PPs way to work. Pretty nasty by all accounts

I hope the Lookout etc is all OK?

http://www.getbracknell.co.uk/news/s/2091913_schools_and_roads_closed_due_to_forest_fire

I think the lookout is OK at the moment. My nephew goes to school in Crowbags and they were told to stay home today as the smoke is quite thick. Sister in law said you couldn’t see down the high street earlier.

It’s just been on the news again, looks like there’s fires all over the place (UK that is, not just Swinley). Nasty business, did I fall asleep and wake up in California?!

No smoke at my end of the Forest.

Rode over there this evening. The whole section between the Crowthorne race start and the corkscrew is on fire, or at least smouldering, and there are further fires on the opposite side of the road. Tree felling equipment was being used to clear fire breaks – proper Thunderbirds-esque.

Nowhere else is affected yet. It is at least a mile from the Lookout.

GB

some pics here

http://www.camberleypeople.co.uk/pictures/…l/pictures.html

I live in about 4 miles from Swinley and the air is thick with smoke so it must be pretty bad.

You could see it clearly from a high vantage point at Heathrow yesterday. Big thick smoke plume

gee – were you not spotted and frogmarched out again? Surely you were taking a risk, let alone breathing in those fumes?

Has it ‘officially’ been closed for business or not then?

Went and had a look at 6.30ish today. Area is roped off but people are not being asked to leave the area I had two guys in a fire truck asking me how to get back to the road. The area I saw was from the cork screw down to the Forrest Road it only seems to be low level ground fires the trees are just a bit roasted not much flame loads of smoke. The fire is on its way to Broadmoor Hospital so that could be a bit of a problem. The biggest threat to the single track is not the fire but the tree felling that may be needed to stop the spread. The tracks that have been in the fire will be safer to ride now as there is no bush to hide the trail in front so no more head on crashes. (Very small silver lining)

Thanks for the update pete.

ive seen quite a few fires whilst out riding lately..thats moor fires…be carefull out there ! 😉

No job’s too big for PeteThePlumber – can you install a sprinkler system in there mate? 😆

More info on the gorrick website here

http://gorrick.com/swinley/news_item.php?id=413

The fire is on its way to Broadmoor Hospital so that could be a bit of a problem.

Indeed, Evacuating that place could really be quite interesting 😯

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

We have la creme de la creme in there. 😯

Anyone know if the gully, axle and other runs are still there?? Or can we not get as far as that yet?

OK, may have a wee pootle over there provided I can sneak in without being seen.

Anyone know if the gully, axle and other runs are still there?? Or can we not get as far as that yet

The fire in crowthorne woods so no where near gully, axle etc

Brilliant stuff. (but not at the same time) Im going over there after work to see how far i get. I’ll let you guys know

Weird. Thought I was the only fool in the forest but saw a couple of others riding. Avoided Caesar’s Camp/Corkscrew corner. Headed out on Toboggan Run and then climbed to the ridge. There was even more burnt areas than last week and actually had to ride through a still-smouldering bit which was extremely close to Deer Stalker/Baby Maker areas. That definitely unnerved me.

The odd thing was that the whole time I was there, apart from the above-mentioned bit, there was no smell of burning. I could see in the distance, on the Broadmoor side of the Devil’s Highway, some burning right by the telegraph poles.

A3095 still closed as well as other roads.

Any recommendations of where I can get to to park for Swinley, thinking of heading over there tomorrow afters. The road to the Lookout was shut this morning.

You could always approach from the Bagshot/Camberley side, ie park near the church in Bagshot which is just off the A30. Or even park in Bagshot village centre car park.

Alternatively there is a small car park in The Maultway, Camberley (think it’s some sort of Army test track) – cross the A30 and pick up a bridleway that goes alongside the school. Just look for the transmitter.

Ta CG, that puts me on the non firey side of the forest too so I shouldnt get burnt to a crisp on me ride.

Did 3rs round the forest this evening. Rode over the Crowthorne side and the fire is up to the fire road opposite the corkscrew and has started to encroach on the trenches you ride through opposite. The area of drops on the other side of the corkscrew is also surrounded by burnt areas. The only trails currently on fire are the various narrow downhills that drop you out on the dog **** fire road – they lead down from the top of the corkscrew, ish. These were fine last night so the fire seems to be spreading. The other dodgy bit was down the bottom of the hill alongside the road at the bottom of Crowthorne where the burnt and smokin areas are right up to the trails. A few small areas along 9 mile ride were also on fire.

The fire service were all over that area. There are also fire pipes to move water from the hydrant at the lower star post all the way over to Crowthorne.

The common area by Surrey Hill is also burnt but no worse than it has been for the past week.

Agreed with CG – the smell is only there when you are right next to the fire. The wind is blowing it all away from the forest, towards Crowthorne.

If you are thinking about riding over there, it seems ok at the moment.

Blimey 😯 Thanks for the update gee. Presumably you weren’t asked to leave the Forest by the Fire Service personnel? I would have been terrified, especially with the gusty wind!

Yes, I saw equipment had been moved to Lower Star Post.

As I said earlier, suggest caution is exercised if accessing the ridge via the Toboggan Run. Certainly the RMA side does see a lot of fires.

Mind you, sounds as though we’re in for showers over the weekend. Trails do need damping down.

No – they didn’t say anything. I rode past a lot of personnel and said hi.

The toboggan run was ok too – that area has stopped smoking now.

It wasn’t really scary – no flames or anything – just smoking ground. It was eerily warm riding up the trails alongside the smouldering ground by the road by the Crowthorne race start bridge. I think it is a lot worse the other side of that road, but I didn’t head over there at all.

Bring on some rain to get rid of all this sand… Oh, and put out the fires too.

GB

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-13286937

Seems they have arrested two little scrotes for starting the fires at Swinley.

Spoke to the fire fighters on my way out tonight, they seem t o be trying to keep the Crowthorn area clear but there seems to be a bit of confusion. They now have two pumps at the lower star post and 4km of pipe running to the damager area. The last fire fighter I talked to reckoned they will be there for the weekend.

i thought you’d get flamed for admitting you were riding over there when you’re supposed to stay away.

sorry.

has anyone done that one yet?

Well, according to the Bracknell Forest Council website, Coral Reef is now open but The Look Out is still closed.