Wildfires, moorlands and sound management

Countryside Alliance Chief Executive Tim Bonner writes: The devastating fire that took place on Howden Moor in the Peak District National Park, which destroyed over 200 acres of heather moorland in early May, is a reminder of the considerable damage to wildlife and the environment that can result from careless behaviour, and tried and tested management practices being ignored by a few land managers. The fire, which it is believed was started by a portable BBQ, was attended by 10 fire crews, whose vehicles were unable to get anywhere near the scene. The only fire fighting vehicles to successfully get to the fire being those belonging to the shooting tenant of Howden, and those from the neighbouring moors that are managed for grouse shooting. After the fire services left at dusk with the fire still burning, it was the Peak District's gamekeepers that remained overnight to keep the fire under control. Had they not done so then, according to one expert on the ground, some 8,000 acres of heather moorland could have been destroyed.

It was those same gamekeepers who also managed to save a known hen harrier nesting site that had been used since 2003, from being destroyed by the fire. The controlled, cool burning of heather, creating firebreaks, and maintaining tracks to allow access onto moorland can all help in the prevention and control of wildfires, and they are common management practices that are carried out by responsible land managers, especially in areas where cutting of heather is an impossible alternative. Whilst the damage might not have been prevented, it might certainly have been further contained had the tenant been allowed to do so on Howden. One thing is certain, without the gamekeepers and privately owned specialist fire-fighting equipment, we could have been looking at nothing short of an ecological disaster.

It is vital that anyone who sees someone acting suspiciously, recklessly or irresponsibly in the countryside should contact the Police on 101 or pass information anonymously on to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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