Organisers of the Oswestry Balloon Carnival have issued an 'important' health and safety statement following a 'severe' emergency alert about the risk of wildfires, which was sent to millions of mobile phone users across England and Wales on Friday evening (August 14).
The Government-issued alert warned of a 'very high risk' of wildfires and said activities that could start a fire – including disposable barbecues, firepits, garden incinerators or fireworks – should be avoided. It stressed that "even a small flame can rapidly develop into a major wildfire, placing lives, homes, business and emergency responders at risk".
Enhanced precautions for balloon activity
In response, the carnival, which takes place at Cae Glas Park from 10.30am on August 22 and 23, has confirmed that "additional fire safety equipment and enhanced precautions around all balloon activity" will be in place. The update was posted on the event's Facebook page on Saturday afternoon (August 15).
The statement said: "The safety of our visitors, participants and event team is our absolute priority. In light of recent government announcements regarding fire safety, we have undertaken additional measures to further strengthen the arrangements already in place for the Balloon Carnival. This includes additional fire safety equipment and enhanced precautions around all balloon activity."
Dynamic risk assessments before each launch
Working with Spirit Balloons, the organisers will carry out a dynamic risk assessment before each session of balloon activity and prior to every balloon launch, taking into account the prevailing conditions and any relevant changes on the day.
"These measures are designed to ensure that balloon activity only proceeds when it is safe to do so, and we ask everyone attending to enjoy the event with confidence, knowing that safety remains paramount throughout," the statement added.
Mixed reactions from the public
The post attracted a range of replies. One Facebook user wrote: "Thank you for helping reassure all attendees." However, another commented: "Should be cancelled in my opinion." A third said: "It really should be postponed, better safe than sorry. It's not just the take off, coming down is more of a problem as those burners will still be hot enough to cause a fire." This prompted another user to reply: "I agree."
The carnival, described as a "family-friendly event", has been organised by Nightingale House Hospice, Oswestry Town Council and Oswestry BID. It is free to attend, with visitors encouraged to make a voluntary donation to support the hospice. In addition to the balloons, the event will feature food pop-ups, local produce and craft stalls, live music, street entertainers, Punch and Judy shows, cheerleading displays and BMX performances.
