Brian May forced to evacuate Surrey country home due to raging forest fire
Queen guitarist Brian May and his wife Anita Dobson were forced to leave their country pile in Surrey due to a nearby raging forest fire
Music icon Brian May was forced to flee his Surrey country home due to a nearby forest fire.
The Queen guitarist, 73, left his house where he lives with wife and former EastEnders star Anita Dobson after firefighters worked to contain the blaze on Chobham Common over the weekend (August 8 to 9).
Brian took to Instagram to post photos of himself and Save Me Trust charity worker Anne Brummer near some scorched earth in the sun.
Further images showed the charred landscape as a result of the forest fire.
He captioned the images: “FIREFIGHT in SURREY. I never imagined it could happen here in leafy, and normally damp, Surrey, England. We supported the fight against the immense fires in Australia, and watched sadly as fires ravaged California, but to see this happen in my own home county has been shocking and traumatic.
“These pictures show Anne Brummer and I this afternoon, surveying the forest fire which is still smouldering less than a mile from my own house and studio, and the fond relics of my entire life.
“Today Se were able to begin to thank the amazing firefighters who risked their lives to contain this huge and treacherous wild furnace on the heath land of Sunningdale Golf Course – which actually adjoins my property.”
The musician then detailed how he was forced to save his prized possessions to prevent their being potentially destroyed by the blaze.
He continued: “Yesterday, I was rescuing as many precious things from my house as was practicable, under threat of the whole thing going up in flames, but praying that the horror would not happen.
“Today my prayers were answered – the fire is under control, but the danger is not over. While this dry heatwave lasts there is still a massive risk of a flare-up leading to disaster.
“Perhaps even more shocking was learning today that this wonderful force, which is alert 24 hours a day to protect us all, has become tragically undersupporyed in recent years.”
Brian then criticised the UK Goverment’s lack of funding for the fire services, as well as the NHS.
He hit out: “Just as the Government cuts sent the NHS into battle hideously crippled by lack of funding, the same lack of vision has rendered this country vulnerable to fires – with a fire fighting service criminally cut back in manpower and resources.
“Something has gone terribly wrong with our leaders’ decision-making process. As long as we prioritise short-term economic gains over the lives of our people and the welfare of those who protects us, we will be a nation continually in danger. It becomes more and more clear that a radical rethink is needed.”
Before signing off his lengthy post, Brian paid tribute to the hard work of the firefighting team and the maintenance team of the local gold course.
“THANK YOU, firefighters of Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire, and the maintenance team of Sunningdale Golf – for saving all our skins. And thanks Callum and Emily, George, and the nice man from Barcelona for giving us a backstage tour today.
“Incredible. Photo of Bri and Anne by Callum Strachan. Swipe for stereo views showing the still smoking edges of the huge area of destruction. Bri”.
MirrorCeleb