0:00:02 > 0:00:05The British weather is a constant topic of conversation.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09Often unpredictable, it's now having an even bigger effect on our lives.
0:00:09 > 0:00:15Dangerous floods threaten our homes, forest fires devastate our countryside,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18and savage storms ravage our coastlines.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22Today, we find out what happens to Britain when freak weather strikes.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30We see the stories of people's lives that have been turned upside down by the totally unexpected.
0:00:32 > 0:00:38And we show you how to protect yourself, your home and your family from disaster.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Welcome to Living Dangerously.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48We've all seen reports of the destruction
0:00:48 > 0:00:53that extreme weather can cause but what about the personal cost?
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Today we hear two incredible true stories.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Coming up on Living Dangerously...
0:00:59 > 0:01:03a lethal mix of searing temperatures and high winds combine
0:01:03 > 0:01:06to fan a life-threatening forest fire in Dorset.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11It got to the point where I could hear and see it and I knew that it had got bigger and closer.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12That's when I started to panic.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17And when Britain is hit by an Arctic cold snap, it's a race against time
0:01:17 > 0:01:22to save people stranded in huge snowdrifts on the Yorkshire Dales.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26All I could think in my head - "I just don't want to die out here in the snow."
0:01:26 > 0:01:29With home video, actual footage and reconstruction,
0:01:29 > 0:01:33we show what happened during these real-life weather events.
0:01:38 > 0:01:45In the heart of England's beautiful southern county of Dorset lies Verwood Forest,
0:01:45 > 0:01:48an ancient man-made heath land covering 7,000 hectares
0:01:48 > 0:01:52that's also home to a number of protected trees and wildlife.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57It's a stunningly beautiful area but one very prone to woodland fires.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02The sandy soil encourages plants such as heather and gorse and, in the summer,
0:02:02 > 0:02:07high temperatures turn this already dry vegetation into kindling,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10meaning a tiny spark is all that's needed to start a blaze.
0:02:10 > 0:02:16However, these small fires are usually easy to put out and have no major impact
0:02:16 > 0:02:21on the 14,000 residents of Verwood, a town that borders the forest.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29One resident, 24-year-old Hannah Green, lives in her family home
0:02:29 > 0:02:34in Coopers Lane, a picturesque spot less than 30 metres from the edge of the heath land.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38The area's really nice.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40It's quite a quiet little village,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42it's quite a family-orientated little village,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45a lovely place to grow up or retire to.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47I know a lot of friends of mine,
0:02:47 > 0:02:51they go away and come back again so, no, it's lovely.
0:02:52 > 0:02:58But this tranquil spot was to be turned upside down on April 17th 2003 when,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01during an unusually dry spell,
0:03:01 > 0:03:06high-speed winds whipped a smouldering woodland fire into a frenzied blaze
0:03:06 > 0:03:10that tore through the heath and threatened to engulf nearby houses.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12I've come round to see Hannah
0:03:12 > 0:03:17to find out how Britain's extreme weather nearly cost her her life.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21- Hi, Hannah?- Hiya.- Nadia. Can I come in?- Yeah, come in.
0:03:21 > 0:03:26Oh, lovely. So, Hannah, tell me about the morning. Perfectly normal morning, ordinary morning?
0:03:26 > 0:03:30Yeah, absolutely. I was looking after my cousin's children.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Perfectly normal. She dropped them off in the morning.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39I had them every holiday. Then we sat down to lunch, they were watching telly, everything was normal.
0:03:41 > 0:03:47That month had seen the highest UK April temperature since 1949
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and many areas had received only half their normal rainfall.
0:03:50 > 0:03:56Southerly winds were continuing to bring the high temperatures inland and, that day,
0:03:56 > 0:04:01the weather forecast for Dorset was for another scorching day with low humidity -
0:04:01 > 0:04:03the perfect weather for fires.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09At 11:30am, from her garden, Hannah spotted some smoke high up
0:04:09 > 0:04:13on the wooded hill-top, several hundred metres from her house.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16However, wildfires are so common in this area,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19she and her family thought nothing of it.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21My mum, she had a hair appointment.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25As she was leaving, she said, "Just ring the fire brigade and they'll come."
0:04:25 > 0:04:30Again, it's a normal thing to happen, to have a fire up in the forest. It wasn't an unusual event.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34So Hannah put the call in and the fire brigade were scrambled.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38Fifteen minutes later, she spotted flames high on the hillside,
0:04:38 > 0:04:43and the unmistakeable sound of burning trees was carried to her on the wind.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45As I kept checking outside, the bigger it got.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I thought, "They'll be here in a minute,"
0:04:47 > 0:04:51and then it only got to the point where I could hear it
0:04:51 > 0:04:55and see it and I knew that it had got bigger and closer - that's when I started to panic.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59And what did you do when that panic first set in?
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Phoned the fire brigade again and said, "Has anybody arrived yet?
0:05:02 > 0:05:04"I can't hear the sirens."
0:05:04 > 0:05:08And they said, "No, no, a unit has been despatched."
0:05:08 > 0:05:11OK, fine. They said, "Just don't panic, it'll be OK."
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Again, perfectly normal.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17By now, firefighters had reached the blaze and years of experience
0:05:17 > 0:05:21dealing with wild fires meant they felt well-equipped
0:05:21 > 0:05:24to deal with whatever was thrown at them.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25Not a problem - a normal heath fire.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Something we do every day, wasn't a problem.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31We deployed our fire-fighting equipment,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35our two hose-reel jets off the back of our main appliance.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39We were in this ditch, which has a slightly banked-up unmade track.
0:05:39 > 0:05:45What we try and do is then initially knock the fire down and then put it out.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Although the recent heat wave had created the perfect conditions
0:05:49 > 0:05:55for the fire to spread, up till now, the relatively weak breeze had kept the flames small.
0:05:55 > 0:06:03Shortly after midday, however, the weather suddenly struck an unforeseen and devastating blow.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06The wind changed direction and increased in intensity
0:06:06 > 0:06:09and it was just like somebody had poured petrol all over that heath
0:06:09 > 0:06:12and the flames had gone from three to four feet high
0:06:12 > 0:06:15to 15-16 feet high, moving directly towards us.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26The hot, dry weather had provided fuel for the flames
0:06:26 > 0:06:31and now a south-westerly breeze blowing at 27mph was fanning them.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33We literally laid down in that ditch.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36The fire came straight up over the top of us, jumped over us,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39and went into the heath land the other side.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43The fire leapt from treetop to treetop,
0:06:43 > 0:06:49up a ravine, across a ridge, and swept down towards Coopers Lane and Hannah's family home.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55And then it went straight on towards the house which, um...
0:06:55 > 0:06:59There's about six houses at the very top of that track and it threatened that property.
0:07:00 > 0:07:01I was feeling terrified.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05I was feeling that, you know, completely out of control.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08The fire brigade weren't here, although we'd called them
0:07:08 > 0:07:14what seemed like 1,000 times and my mum wasn't here. I had the children and the dogs
0:07:14 > 0:07:16and a lot obviously to take on board.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22It was 12:45pm. Despite firefighters' efforts,
0:07:22 > 0:07:28in just over an hour, 16-foot flames had been pushed by wind across the heath land
0:07:28 > 0:07:30and were halfway across a field,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33just 50 metres from Hannah's house.
0:07:33 > 0:07:39Hannah decided she had to act fast if she was to save herself and her two young cousins so,
0:07:39 > 0:07:44urging them to follow her, she led them to the safest place she could think of -
0:07:44 > 0:07:45at the bottom of the garden.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52Once I'd discovered that it was becoming more intense, I decided to get out of the house.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57It wasn't an issue for me because we didn't know how far it was going to come,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00if it was going to catch the house on fire and we couldn't stay there.
0:08:00 > 0:08:06The furthest point where the children could be confined was the greenhouse, so I decided to take them down there.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09I knew it was far enough that it couldn't catch fire.
0:08:09 > 0:08:15But Hannah's decision to seek refuge in the greenhouse was extremely dangerous.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19The structure would not provide any protection from the flames
0:08:19 > 0:08:21and the glass could shatter with the heat.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25So how does a girl of 18, what you were at the time,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28looking after two children, young children,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30how did you protect yourselves?
0:08:30 > 0:08:36Just instinct, really. It kicks in, I suppose, when you least expect it and you do go into autopilot.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38As I say, I took the children out.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42I knew they were the priority, then the next priority was the dogs.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45The next priority was the other animals outside and...
0:08:45 > 0:08:50And at this point, were you in phone contact with your family?
0:08:50 > 0:08:53I phoned her and said that it's got too close
0:08:53 > 0:08:58and I think she thought I was being a bit over-dramatic at the time because it had never happened before.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01It only became apparent when there was another big whoosh
0:09:01 > 0:09:05and a crash, and I screamed at her, "You've got to come home!"
0:09:05 > 0:09:10By 1pm, the fire reached a hedge at the bottom of a neighbour's field,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13just 25 metres away from Hannah's house.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17By this stage, the wind had increased to a brisk 29mph,
0:09:17 > 0:09:23taking the heat of the fire to a temperature of around 1,000 degrees centigrade.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28In 18 years of service, I've never seen a more intense fire than that.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30We've had larger heath fires.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34We get a lot of heath fires in Verwood and in Dorset
0:09:34 > 0:09:39but in terms of ferocity, intensity, it's the most intense fire.
0:09:40 > 0:09:46The fire was spreading rapidly and not just over ground but underground too.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50Bone-dry tree roots and compost were conducting the fire through earth,
0:09:50 > 0:09:56causing occasional flames to sprout out of the ground several metres ahead of the main blaze.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00By just after 1pm, the fire was 20 metres from Hannah's house
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and the air was thick with smoke.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05Firefighters had to modify their approach
0:10:05 > 0:10:09if they were to save the residents' lives.
0:10:11 > 0:10:17We'd stopped now offensive fire-fighting operations and we're into persons reported,
0:10:17 > 0:10:20which means there's people in immediate danger
0:10:20 > 0:10:22and we have to start our evacuation procedure.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27So we went along those houses, systematically along the houses, starting to evacuate them.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31As the firemen worked their way up Coopers Lane house by house,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34Hannah and her two cousins cowered in a greenhouse,
0:10:34 > 0:10:37listening to the crackling of the approaching fire,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39praying somebody would hear their cries
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and save them from the flames getting closer and closer.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47And then I thought, all I can do is start screaming. That's what I did.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51"Help me, help me! I'm here on my own, the children are here!"
0:10:51 > 0:10:55What else can I do? What else can I possibly do?
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Coming up later on Living Dangerously...
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Hannah's life hangs in the balance
0:11:00 > 0:11:04as emergency services struggle to reach her through the smoke.
0:11:04 > 0:11:09I was screaming and screaming. He didn't think it was human, I was screaming that hard.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11They thought there was a horse!
0:11:14 > 0:11:18High up in one of the most remote parts of the Yorkshire Dales,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22the Tan Hill Inn is something of a local treasure.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Set on the northern edge of the Dales at the border with Cumbria,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29it's 1,732 feet above sea level
0:11:29 > 0:11:33and officially the highest pub in Britain.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37The inn dates from the 17th century, when the area was mined for coal.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Since then, it's been a haven for ramblers walking the Pennine Way.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Landlords Tracy Daly and Mike Peace
0:11:45 > 0:11:48bought the remotely located pub in 2005.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53It's a destination. People come specifically to Tan Hill.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Not many kind of fall in. "Oh, we were just passing!"
0:11:57 > 0:12:01It's such a long way from, kind of, anywhere.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04The atmosphere at Tan Hill - it changes every day.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07It's very, very unique in every way.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Britain's weather is unpredictable at the best of times
0:12:11 > 0:12:13but up here there are no half measures.
0:12:13 > 0:12:18You can have beautiful sunshine and there you can see all over Cumbria,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22the clouds are down below you and it's kind of... It's quite surreal.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Extremes of weather can be in the summer,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27where you get heat exhaustion.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30The other extreme is winter conditions,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33when you can have 50mph winds,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36occasionally snow, sleet, rain.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38It varies tremendously.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Given the erratic weather conditions around Tan Hill,
0:12:41 > 0:12:46Tracy drives something a little more rugged than the average saloon car.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49We bought the vehicle primarily, I think, for the weather.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53My old man knows that I have to go out when I want to go out.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57This type of all-terrain vehicle is used by armies across the world.
0:12:57 > 0:13:03Its caterpillar tracks and powerful engine have been specifically designed to deal with heavy snow.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06It's straightforward like a car, an automatic car,
0:13:06 > 0:13:12except it goes in water, it goes on seven-foot snow drifts, everything.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18But there was weather coming that would challenge even the all-terrain vehicle's abilities.
0:13:18 > 0:13:24On the 1st of February 2009, the UK was hit by a crippling cold snap.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Temperatures plunged to -4C in places
0:13:27 > 0:13:29and heavy snow fell on the ground,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33the likes of which hadn't been seen for nearly 20 years.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Essential services were paralysed, buses and trains cancelled,
0:13:37 > 0:13:42and airports, major roads and over 4,500 schools were closed across the country.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49In parts of the Yorkshire Dales, 20cm of snow fell in 24 hours
0:13:49 > 0:13:52and with strong winds of 40mph, the snow was whipped up
0:13:52 > 0:13:55to create drifts reaching as high as five feet.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Services here were also stopped in their tracks,
0:13:58 > 0:14:04as schools were closed and people in the Dales found themselves sealed off from the world.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09We had snow up to armpit,
0:14:09 > 0:14:11so I would say about five foot high,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13in the car park.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Often one of the problems is not the volume of snow that falls.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22It's the strong winds that blow the snow and trap vehicles in roads,
0:14:22 > 0:14:25or people not prepared for it.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30One man who got too close to this for comfort is Peter Richardson,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32known to everyone as Richie,
0:14:32 > 0:14:35one of the barmen and regulars at the Tan Hill.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39He'd been caught out by the heavy snowfall and had spent the night
0:14:39 > 0:14:43at a friend's house nine miles from the pub where he was living.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Richie has a kidney condition that requires daily medication
0:14:47 > 0:14:49but he'd left it in his room in the pub
0:14:49 > 0:14:55and the next morning he decided to brave the freezing temperatures and thick snow to retrieve it.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59I wouldn't have made that journey if I didn't have to
0:14:59 > 0:15:03but I had to get back to Tan Hill to get this medication.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06I got about halfway up here
0:15:06 > 0:15:11and a local farmer stopped me and he asked me where I was going.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13I said, "Tan Hill."
0:15:13 > 0:15:17And basically he said to me, "I've been doing this 40 years.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20"If you carry on, you'll probably die,"
0:15:20 > 0:15:24That sent alarm bells ringing. So I jumped in his tractor.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29We went back to where we'd set off from - South Stainmore.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33But the following morning, Richie was getting desperate.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36He'd gone two days without his medication,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38which meant his blood pressure was falling.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40So, with a break in the snowfall,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44he decided once again to step out in the still Arctic temperatures
0:15:44 > 0:15:47and chance the nine-mile walk to Tan Hill.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51The day in question, I decided, because the sun was shining,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54I was going to set off that morning.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Richie headed out at midday
0:15:56 > 0:15:59but after trudging in the snow for two hours,
0:15:59 > 0:16:04the bright blue skies disappeared and the weather started to close in.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Initially, although the snow was bad,
0:16:07 > 0:16:11I wasn't that worried and I was quite confident
0:16:11 > 0:16:16I could actually make it to Tan Hill...foolishly.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18However, after a couple of miles,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22it's all uphill and the road was just complete black ice,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26and I was just stumbling, and I was really worried.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30I couldn't make it to the top of the hill. It was so exhausting.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Richie's exhaustion was compounded by the 40mph winds
0:16:33 > 0:16:38and the Siberian temperatures that had dipped to -3 degrees.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43He was never going to make it home to Tan Hill on his own, so he called Tracy for help.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48At one point, she said to me, "Just turn back. Please don't carry on."
0:16:48 > 0:16:54She sounded quite frantic but I thought, I'm as close to her as I am going back,
0:16:54 > 0:16:56so I thought I might as well carry on.
0:16:56 > 0:17:02Knowing the condition that Richie was in and the weather, cos it was still blowing a gale,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05and it was still probably 40mph winds in a snow blizzard.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07That's quite invisible, you know.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12I thought, "He's not going to make it. Let's go in the Hagland."
0:17:12 > 0:17:15And off I went.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Just before 2pm, Tracy jumped into the all-terrain vehicle
0:17:19 > 0:17:23with Ellie, the pub chambermaid, and Sherbet the dog.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28Tracy decided to travel down the main road, in the direction she thought Richie would be approaching
0:17:28 > 0:17:32but the road was virtually indistinguishable from the fields.
0:17:32 > 0:17:38Snow drifts reaching as high as five feet had piled up against the dry-stone walls lining the lane
0:17:38 > 0:17:42and, as the all-terrain vehicle battled through the snow drifts
0:17:42 > 0:17:45and strong winds, disaster struck.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Bombing along, it conked out about six miles from Tan Hill.
0:17:48 > 0:17:54I started it again, the vehicle, and it went along for about another three or four hundred yards.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58And it conked out again and this time it conked out for good.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02There was a blockage from the reserve tank of petrol,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05so fuel wasn't getting to the engine.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09Ellie captured the marooned vehicle on her mobile phone.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11I think it stalled once
0:18:11 > 0:18:15but we managed to get it going and then we moved.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20It wasn't really that far before it actually broke down properly.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22All I knew is that we weren't going anywhere.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27We were halfway up a snow drift and halfway coming down another,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30so the vehicle was stuck at some really weird angle.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35You get that sort of nervous twitch and I'm thinking,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38oh, no, this ain't for real.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41What was worse, Richie, just a mile away,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44had become lost in the blinding snow.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47With howling winds and dropping temperatures,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50he was in real danger of exposure and hypothermia.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54And, without his medication, his blood pressure had fallen
0:18:54 > 0:18:58and he was beginning to feel light-headed and nauseous.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Coming up on Living Dangerously...
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Time ticks away as the Arctic temperatures continue to plummet.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08All I could think in my head - I don't want to die in the snow.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10And with the high drifts of thick snow,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14it's a challenge for Mountain Rescue to find the stranded party.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23In April 2003, the small Dorset town of Verwood
0:19:23 > 0:19:27fell victim to one of the most terrifying wild fires in decades.
0:19:29 > 0:19:327,000 hectares of heath land bordering the town
0:19:32 > 0:19:36had been dried out by weeks of unseasonably hot weather.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39A stray spark set the woods alight
0:19:39 > 0:19:42and unusually high winds had fanned the flames,
0:19:42 > 0:19:47turning a simple heath fire into a relentless inferno.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Firemen had been unable to contain the blaze
0:19:50 > 0:19:53and now it had reached the houses on nearby Coopers Lane.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58One of the residents was Hannah Green, who'd been left at home with her two young cousins.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03With the flames bearing down on her property, she shepherded the children and her dog
0:20:03 > 0:20:08to the greenhouse in the garden in the belief it would keep them safe.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13I knew it was far away and metal and glass couldn't catch fire.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15So I took them down there.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20But shortly after 1pm, the 29mph winds had carried the blaze
0:20:20 > 0:20:24to within just 20 metres of Hannah's house.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29Firefighters were still trying to evacuate the lane but with no sign of them as yet,
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Hannah dashed out of the greenhouse and tried to fight the fire herself.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38I can recall trying to unwinch the hose but there was no water.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41What was that moment like? Oh, that sent chills down my spine -
0:20:41 > 0:20:44the thought that you go to the tap, the hose, and there's no water.
0:20:44 > 0:20:50There's nothing. Again, the only thing I could just tell myself was that they must be using it.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53That's why we've got no water. But I don't know what I was going to do without water,
0:20:53 > 0:20:57you know, or what I was going to do with our little garden hose.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Realising this was a futile effort, Hannah ran back into the greenhouse.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04With the flames getting ever closer,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08she started shouting in the hope the fire brigade would find her.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13I was screaming and screaming, "Help me, help me! Children are here. Help me."
0:21:13 > 0:21:18Thankfully, to her relief, Hannah's cries were finally picked out by the rescue team.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22The fire engines switched off their engines to hear where we were
0:21:22 > 0:21:26in relation to where they were and I could hear the firemen shouting
0:21:26 > 0:21:29and me screaming and that's when they pinpointed where we were
0:21:29 > 0:21:30and reinforcements came in.
0:21:30 > 0:21:35I saw this fireman coming through the hedge.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39That's how he heard me and he didn't actually think it was a human, I was screaming that hard.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40They thought it was a horse!
0:21:42 > 0:21:46By now, Hannah's mum had arrived back from town
0:21:46 > 0:21:51and was trying to force through the smoke in search of her family.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Intercepted by firemen, she was brought to the greenhouse
0:21:54 > 0:21:58and reunited with Hannah and the children.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01What was going on for you at that point, when your mum got back?
0:22:01 > 0:22:05Just relief that she was here but again, it was then somebody else
0:22:05 > 0:22:07that needed to be informed of what was going on.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11She wanted to know where the children were, um...
0:22:11 > 0:22:13I mean, it then started.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16That's really when the whole drama really began.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20The weather dealt another blow to the rescue effort.
0:22:20 > 0:22:26The wind speed increased to 34mph, fanning the flames even more.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29The smoke and heat were becoming overwhelming.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32When we initially called for assistance along that track
0:22:32 > 0:22:35to get those last few people from the top property out,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38we put in an assistance message for some support.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41There was a BA team - that's breathing apparatus -
0:22:41 > 0:22:44who were trying to make their way towards us.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Those three firefighters went to hospital suffering heat exhaustion.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51It was that hot, that intense that team couldn't get through to us,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55so it gives you some idea of just how intense that fire was.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00The other houses along Coopers Lane had been evacuated
0:23:00 > 0:23:03but now both ends were ravaged by the fire,
0:23:03 > 0:23:07cutting off the escape route for Hannah and her loved ones.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09There was nowhere for us to go.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13We had to either stay where we were or we had to get out somewhere
0:23:13 > 0:23:16and the only access in is the road, which was on fire.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20So firefighters changed tactics again and gathered Hannah,
0:23:20 > 0:23:25her mum and the kids together in the nearest open space
0:23:25 > 0:23:27not yet reached by the inferno.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31We had to make a decision and that decision was to evacuate them
0:23:31 > 0:23:34into the paddock, which was away from the danger initially.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38As soon as we did that, we put a request in for some assistance,
0:23:38 > 0:23:42for some air support, so we could evacuate people from that paddock.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47The air ambulance and police helicopters came to do that for us.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52As firefighters continued to battle the blaze,
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Hannah and her loved ones waited for the helicopters.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Then, at 2pm, the first air ambulance arrived
0:23:58 > 0:24:02and the rescuers on board could see the terrifying scale of the fire,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05which had now spread across five hectares.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07From the air, approaching the scene,
0:24:07 > 0:24:12you could see smoke from a good 10-12 miles away.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Couldn't see any flame at the time but the cloud into the sky
0:24:16 > 0:24:17was thick, dense smoke,
0:24:17 > 0:24:22probably a good mile high, spreading out over quite a large area.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25The wind was still travelling at 34mph,
0:24:25 > 0:24:30fanning the fire and making visibility an issue for the pilots.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34A short time after lifting off and searching the designated area,
0:24:34 > 0:24:39we located some people who appeared to be trapped by the smoke and flame.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43In turn, we did a recce of the site to find where it was safe to land.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Landed as close as possible, under the circumstances,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49bearing in mind the smoke and flame.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53But as emergency services prepared to airlift Hannah and her family
0:24:53 > 0:24:56out of the paddock and away from the fire,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58another problem presented itself.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Hannah's dogs had no leads and could be a liability
0:25:01 > 0:25:04if put into a helicopter untethered
0:25:04 > 0:25:07but she wasn't prepared to leave them behind.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09We didn't think they'd take dogs.
0:25:09 > 0:25:15So we had a fairly robust discussion about, "We'll take the dogs, you go in the helicopter."
0:25:15 > 0:25:22Fortunately, she won and she went in the helicopter along with both the dogs, so they were evacuated.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26We had to fashion leads because we obviously hadn't picked up leads
0:25:26 > 0:25:28and they weren't allowed on the helicopter without leads,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32so we took our belts off and put them round their necks
0:25:32 > 0:25:34and they jumped into the helicopter.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38Now, finally, the family could be flown to safety -
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Hannah and her cousins in one chopper -
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Mum and the dogs in another.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45While everyone was now safe,
0:25:45 > 0:25:50the fire was inching its way towards their house in Coopers Lane.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53What was the atmosphere like between you all, then?
0:25:53 > 0:25:56It was frantic, it was very emotional, you know,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59being separated in that situation.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04You just want to all be together. I didn't know if it was going to spread.
0:26:04 > 0:26:10My mum was getting a bit panicked and then we saw this black plume of smoke from the corner of my bedroom.
0:26:10 > 0:26:15We thought, that's it. It's gone into the roof. We heard popping.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18We thought that was it.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Coming up on Living Dangerously...
0:26:20 > 0:26:26Hannah and her family have escaped the inferno's clutches but will the family home be as lucky?
0:26:26 > 0:26:29All we could see was black smoke behind the house.
0:26:29 > 0:26:30It kept coming up over the house.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33My mum thought, well, that's it now.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36We can't do anything about it. That's it, it's gone.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44During a severe cold snap in February 2009,
0:26:44 > 0:26:48the North Yorkshire Dales were covered in 20cm of snow.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Strong winds created drifts of up to five feet that blocked lanes,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56while temperatures dipped to -4C.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Peter "Richie" Richardson, barman at the isolated Tan Hill Inn,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03had decided to brave the extreme weather
0:27:03 > 0:27:06to retrieve medication for his kidney condition
0:27:06 > 0:27:08which he'd left in his room at the pub.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13But he'd become stranded in the thick snow and freezing temperatures and was waiting for help.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17All I could think in my head - I don't want to die in the snow.
0:27:17 > 0:27:23But, disastrously, his rescuer Tracy Daly, landlady of Tan Hill,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26who had come to his aid in her all-terrain vehicle
0:27:26 > 0:27:32with her chambermaid Ellie and dog Sherbet, had broken down in a deep snow drift
0:27:32 > 0:27:35and they too were now stranded.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39We had snow up to armpit, so I'd say about five foot high.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41With Tracy unable to go any further,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45the situation was looking increasingly bleak for Richie,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48who was not only lost in Arctic conditions
0:27:48 > 0:27:52but was feeling light-headed and nauseous without his medication.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55But with their surroundings completely masked by snow,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Tracy and Ellie had lost their bearings,
0:27:58 > 0:28:01so Ellie climbed out of the all-terrain vehicle
0:28:01 > 0:28:04and stood on a wall to try and work out their position
0:28:04 > 0:28:07and this move was to prove fateful for Richie,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10who'd been trudging through thick snow for two hours now
0:28:10 > 0:28:12and was beginning to give up hope.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Fortunately, the two parties were closer than they'd thought.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Eventually, I saw Ellie just standing there
0:28:19 > 0:28:24and when I saw her, I was just actually overcome.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27I felt like bursting out crying.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31A million different emotions but I was glad to see her
0:28:31 > 0:28:36and I was glad I could see the snowmobile in the distance as well.
0:28:36 > 0:28:41But that was the beginning of it, really, getting to that point.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Now reunited with his colleagues,
0:28:43 > 0:28:47Richie tried to restart the all-terrain vehicle.
0:28:47 > 0:28:52By chance, some petrol had filtered through, as he got it going,
0:28:52 > 0:28:58but after driving for a few minutes, the engine cut out again and became stuck once more.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02I just thought, this is unreal. I've come this far,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06I've managed to get to the snowmobile
0:29:06 > 0:29:09and then we've broken down.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12You know, I just felt I'd been took up there
0:29:12 > 0:29:14and then just dropped down again.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17They were now completely stranded,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20six miles from the Tan Hill Inn
0:29:20 > 0:29:23and surrounded by seven-foot high snow drifts.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27A broken-down engine meant a broken-down heater
0:29:27 > 0:29:31and with it being -4C outside the vehicle,
0:29:31 > 0:29:35the temperature in the cabin had started to plummet.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37They needed help desperately.
0:29:37 > 0:29:41I phoned 999 and I had a very limited battery life
0:29:41 > 0:29:43and I said, "Look, I'm stuck.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47"Tell me what to do - stay in my vehicle, walk or what?"
0:29:47 > 0:29:51They were told to stay put in the vehicle while help was scrambled.
0:29:51 > 0:29:56The call was passed to the Mountain Rescue Team 12 miles away at Kirkby Stephen
0:29:56 > 0:29:59but the poor visibility and blanket snow
0:29:59 > 0:30:03meant Tracy had been unable to give their exact location.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05They were in a vehicle with no heating
0:30:05 > 0:30:07and they'd be rapidly cooling off,
0:30:07 > 0:30:11so the sooner we got there, the safer they're going to be.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14We knew they'd left the Tan Hill and hadn't arrived at the village.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19So we cut it down to a fairly small area,
0:30:19 > 0:30:23so probably a distance of about half a mile.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Also, we didn't know how far we'd have to dig in
0:30:27 > 0:30:30cos we might have taken hours to actually get to them.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34By now it was three o'clock. There was just an hour left of daylight.
0:30:34 > 0:30:40Temperatures were continuing to fall and Richie was gravely in need of his medication.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44The pressure was on for Mountain Rescue to get to them as soon as possible.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47It's not pleasant feeling cold and isolated.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49All your bodily functions start to slow down.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53But it wasn't just Ellie, Tracy and Richie who were feeling the cold.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57The poor dog, she was cold. We'd brought some tea towels with us.
0:30:57 > 0:31:02I wrapped the dog in them and she was whingeing and howling
0:31:02 > 0:31:05and wasn't making the situation any better.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Four miles from the nearest town,
0:31:07 > 0:31:11Tracy, Ellie and Richie were completely cut off.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14As the minutes ticked away and they waited for help,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17the feelings of isolation increased.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19Well, we knew they were on their way
0:31:19 > 0:31:24but we had no contact with them cos all our phones had died
0:31:24 > 0:31:28and we were all sat there thinking, what do we do if it gets dark?
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Meanwhile, Mountain Rescue volunteer Gordon
0:31:32 > 0:31:34was heading along the main road into the Dales
0:31:34 > 0:31:37but even he had underestimated the depth of the snow
0:31:37 > 0:31:42which had backed up against the dry-stone walls lining the route,
0:31:42 > 0:31:44blocking them completely.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47We were only able to go about half a mile or so
0:31:47 > 0:31:50and then we suddenly realised the roads were...
0:31:50 > 0:31:55well, just deep in snow drifts, and there's no way to batter your way through or drive through them.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57It was probably three, four feet,
0:31:57 > 0:32:01but in places running up to about seven or eight feet.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05But while Mountain Rescue struggled to get to the isolated party,
0:32:05 > 0:32:09the Arctic freeze was taking its toll.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12My feet started to get cold.
0:32:12 > 0:32:17Cos my feet were frozen, I had to end up sticking my feet up Ellie's jumper to keep warm.
0:32:17 > 0:32:22We were all trying to keep each other warm and smile through it.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25We're in a really isolated spot.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28We are in a perilous position
0:32:28 > 0:32:32and, you know, we desperately need someone to come and get us.
0:32:32 > 0:32:37While they all huddled together in the vehicle's cabin to keep warm,
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Mountain Rescue began to make headway.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42We found here was a farm, so we opened the farm gates
0:32:42 > 0:32:45and managed to drive through on their land.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49The winds were about 50mph winds so, on the flatter ground,
0:32:49 > 0:32:52the snow had blown straight off it.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56So we could actually drive across the fields to the farm.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00Finally, they got to the road they thought the vehicle was stranded on
0:33:00 > 0:33:04but, at this point, the snow drifts had become too high
0:33:04 > 0:33:07and this time there was no way around it,
0:33:07 > 0:33:09other than to attempt it on foot.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12So the rest was shovelling through,
0:33:12 > 0:33:14or stamping down with our feet,
0:33:14 > 0:33:16and just slowly progress.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19By now it was 4:15pm.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Tracy, Richie, Ellie and Sherbet the dog
0:33:22 > 0:33:24had been stranded for two hours in the vehicle.
0:33:24 > 0:33:30The light was beginning to fade and it would be dark in half an hour,
0:33:30 > 0:33:31when temperatures would drop.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35All four of them were at real risk of succumbing to hypothermia.
0:33:35 > 0:33:40Suddenly, Tracy noticed some movement outside.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44We just saw these little bobbled heads bobbing up and down
0:33:44 > 0:33:47and they were walking alongside the other side of the wall.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49It was a relief.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51It was a big relief.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55At the vehicle, the first thing to do was check out the casualties.
0:33:55 > 0:34:00We knew one had a medical problem - he had to get his medication.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Having ascertained how cold they were,
0:34:03 > 0:34:07the main thing was to warm them up before we could walk them out.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10We carried extra clothing - hats and gloves and jackets and things -
0:34:10 > 0:34:13just to make sure people were warm.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16The dog actually had hypothermia, so it was shivering badly.
0:34:16 > 0:34:22The stranded party were walked back through the path cut by the Mountain Rescue team.
0:34:22 > 0:34:27One of the Mountain Rescue guys had a big rucksack and they put Sherbet in it.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31When we got there, we got into the Land Rover and it was just like...
0:34:31 > 0:34:34Even though you were still cold, it was just, oh, thank God you're safe
0:34:34 > 0:34:38and you're getting somewhere where there'll be warmth.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42They were taken to the Mountain Rescue base in Kirkby Stephen,
0:34:42 > 0:34:44where they were able to recover.
0:34:44 > 0:34:50It was dark by the time we got to Kirkby Stephen which was, to be fair,
0:34:50 > 0:34:55a real relief cos I could get on the phone then and speak to my old man and tell him I was safe.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Once we got there, we all got out and got into the centre
0:34:58 > 0:35:01and they all got cups of tea on the go.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03Thank God, keeping warm!
0:35:03 > 0:35:09Richie was finally given the medication he needed so urgently for his kidney ailment
0:35:09 > 0:35:13and, after being checked over, his condition had stabilised.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17And while the whole experience had been a nightmare for Richie,
0:35:17 > 0:35:19some good did come out of it.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24As an event that happened in my life, which was quite perilous,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27it brought me together with Tracy and little Ellie and,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30luckily for us, we got rescued,
0:35:30 > 0:35:34but it was a dangerous situation.
0:35:37 > 0:35:43The heavy snows that hit Britain and the North Yorkshire Dales in February 2009 were exceptional
0:35:43 > 0:35:49but it does happen and when the country's paralysed by this extreme weather, what can you do?
0:35:49 > 0:35:53There are some simple ways of making sure you're prepared.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55When we travel around during winter
0:35:55 > 0:35:59and go over the mountain roads, we always carry a spade
0:35:59 > 0:36:02and we take survival equipment with us.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06We will have a sleeping bag in the back of the car, ideally a flask of tea or coffee,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Kendal mint cake to give you energy,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12spare blankets - you need to keep warm.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15If you do get stuck, you could be stuck for quite a long time.
0:36:15 > 0:36:20The safest thing would be to get out of the vehicles and dig into the snow
0:36:20 > 0:36:24and make a snow hole and hide inside the snow hole.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Your body temperature will keep that warm.
0:36:26 > 0:36:32The vehicle, the metal, will always be very, very cold and so you'll get colder inside it.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38A couple of days after the dramatic rescue,
0:36:38 > 0:36:42Tracy was reunited with her beloved all-terrain vehicle.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45The garage came out two days later.
0:36:45 > 0:36:50He tweaked about with it and there was a gauze that was all blocked up.
0:36:50 > 0:36:55We started the vehicle straight away with the fuel that was in it, so...
0:36:55 > 0:36:59So, while Tracy's snow vehicle gets to live another day,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02with Britain's extreme weather being what it is,
0:37:02 > 0:37:08it's probably a question of when, not if, it'll be needed to negotiate huge drifts of snow again.
0:37:11 > 0:37:17In 2003, high winds turned a small Dorset woodland fire
0:37:17 > 0:37:21into a towering inferno within metres of Hannah Green's home.
0:37:21 > 0:37:26This was a natural disaster without precedent in this part of the country,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29even making the national news.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31Firefighters across the country are tackling blazes
0:37:31 > 0:37:34which are destroying forestry land and killing wildlife.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37In Dorset, 40 families have had to leave their homes.
0:37:37 > 0:37:42Two women and two children were airlifted out of the area after flames took hold nearby.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46The women and children in question were Hannah and her loved ones.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50They'd been guided by firefighters to a field sheltered from the fire,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53where they were met by the air ambulance.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58But before they were airlifted to safety, all their thoughts were centred on their home.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01All we could see was a plume of black smoke behind the house.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03- It just kept coming up over the house?- We thought...
0:38:03 > 0:38:09Then we heard popping sounds and Mum thought it was gas in the windows, in the double glazing.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12That must have been a terrible low point
0:38:12 > 0:38:14cos you're thinking, we're losing our home as well.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16That was absolutely it, that was it.
0:38:16 > 0:38:22But my mum, she just thought, that's it now. We can't do anything about it. That's it, it's gone.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26However, believe it or not, Hannah's house survived.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30And, in actual fact, there was no damage to the house in the end?
0:38:30 > 0:38:33No, and there's no doubt that was down to the fire service.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35No doubt at all.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39On the afternoon of the blaze, the firefighters were helped by the wind gradually dying down
0:38:39 > 0:38:41to a light breeze again,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44which slowed the fire's progress.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Then, by damping down the ground around Hannah's house
0:38:47 > 0:38:50and spraying the flames with gallons of water,
0:38:50 > 0:38:54150 firefighters were finally able to contain the blaze,
0:38:54 > 0:38:58with just three metres to spare before it reached their property.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02At one stage, flames were licking at the hedge that borders Hannah's garden.
0:39:02 > 0:39:07As for the loud bangs she'd heard and attributed to her windows exploding,
0:39:07 > 0:39:12these were tyres popping in a field full of old cars next door.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16But others weren't so lucky.
0:39:16 > 0:39:22The great heath fire of 2003 did untold damage to four hectares of land,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25forced 40 families out of their homes,
0:39:25 > 0:39:31destroyed 20 cars and did tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to properties and vehicles.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34When fire crews returned 24 hours later,
0:39:34 > 0:39:39these were the scenes of devastation that greeted them.
0:39:39 > 0:39:45These potentially devastating wild fires are a commonplace occurrence in this area.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49At the height of summer, Dorset fire crews can be called out
0:39:49 > 0:39:51ten times a day to deal with them
0:39:51 > 0:39:55and there are, on average, 238 Dorset wild fires a year -
0:39:55 > 0:39:59destroying on average 50,000 square metres of heath land.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02But for East Dorset's senior ranger Matt Reeks,
0:40:02 > 0:40:06this particular blaze will live long in his memory.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10Did you actually ever find out how the 2003 fire started?
0:40:10 > 0:40:13It was children having a small campfire -
0:40:13 > 0:40:16it was the school holidays and it started at that tree.
0:40:16 > 0:40:21- Right there?- And it was a case of a small campfire innocently lit,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23um...just got the wind and went up.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27You can see it went up that slight ravine.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30- And just the wind caught it. - The wind caught it, straight up.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35And when a heath fire is fed by strong winds,
0:40:35 > 0:40:38it can advance at speeds of up to 30 metres a minute.
0:40:38 > 0:40:45Matt took me up the hill to show me how far this one travelled in less than an hour.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47So just explain the geography to me from here.
0:40:47 > 0:40:52OK, we've basically come up from where the fire started,
0:40:52 > 0:40:56- so the cliff-line runs across to our right-hand side.- OK.
0:40:56 > 0:41:01And the fire came across here to that sort of line of trees.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05That's Coopers Lane and you can just see the roof of the house.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08- Oh, that's the house there!- That's the house down there.- Oh, right!
0:41:08 > 0:41:12So we're looking at this sweep of fire that came right across.
0:41:12 > 0:41:17Heath fires can cause tremendous damage, given the right conditions,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20but should you ever find yourself in this sort of terrain,
0:41:20 > 0:41:25there are some simple measures you can take to avoid starting a blaze.
0:41:25 > 0:41:31In general, obviously don't bring any intention with you of having a fire or a barbecue.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33It's just not worth it.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36There's a multitude of reasons not to drop litter
0:41:36 > 0:41:39but especially for the sort of fire element of it.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43If you are a smoker, either don't smoke while you're here,
0:41:43 > 0:41:47or make sure they're put out properly and take them away with you
0:41:47 > 0:41:53cos it's quite windy today - a cigarette, the wind, a small bit of dead material, that's it.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55We're in the same position all over again.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00But if you're unfortunate enough to come across a woodland or heath fire,
0:42:00 > 0:42:04the first thing the fire service asks that you do is call 999
0:42:04 > 0:42:07and give as much information as you can.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11If possible, you should stay at the scene to direct them
0:42:11 > 0:42:14but only if it's safe to do so.
0:42:14 > 0:42:20Finally, under no circumstances should you attempt to put out any fires yourself.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21Leave that to the professionals.
0:42:25 > 0:42:30Today, six years on from the famous Verwood Forest fire,
0:42:30 > 0:42:36the countryside bears little trace of the blazing path of destruction that almost engulfed a whole town.
0:42:37 > 0:42:43Although several outbuildings were destroyed along Coopers Lane, the houses themselves were untouched.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Hannah, her family and her beloved dogs
0:42:46 > 0:42:49have settled back into their idyllic rural life
0:42:49 > 0:42:54but she'll never forget that fateful day when sunshine and wind combined
0:42:54 > 0:42:57to almost destroy everything she held dear.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05Thankfully, these people survived the effects of extreme weather.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Join us next time for more amazing stories on Living Dangerously.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 2009
0:43:31 > 0:43:34E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk