Controlled Burning

A new scientific review looks at ten of the most common claims made about prescribed burning on peatlands, finding much of the evidence is weak, limited, or contradictory.

A scientific review by Dr. Andreas Heinemeyer and colleagues critically examines ten common claims regarding the effects of prescribed heather burning on UK peatlands, often made by governmental, non-governmental organizations, media, and scientists.

A Norwegian study has shown that traditional land management - including prescribed burning and grazing - plays a vital role in supporting wildlife and protecting landscapes.

For years, traditional land management practices - particularly controlled burning - have been increasingly restricted. As a result, fuel loads have been allowed to build up, turning moorland into a fire risk waiting to happen.

A new 38-year satellite study from the United States shows clear evidence that controlled, or “prescribed,” burning reduces the size and spread of wildfires.

In a powerful column for the Daily Mail, Lord Botham warns that the UK is facing its worst wildfire season on record - and that government policy is making it worse.

These FAQs examine the critical relationship between vegetation fuel loads and wildfire behaviour, demonstrating how accumulated fuels lead to more intense, faster-spreading, and severe fires across diverse global ecosystems, including the UK.

A new three-year study from Northeast China sheds light on how prescribed burning can increase carbon storage in peatlands – a result that challenges common assumptions about fire and carbon loss.

Rewetting is a crucial piece of the puzzle for peatland wildfire mitigation, but on its own it rarely provides a sufficient safeguard against the complex, multifactorial threat of wildfires in a changing climate.

Controlled burning faces strong opposition rooted in common misconceptions. This post addresses the main objections to controlled burning, presenting clear, evidence-based rebuttals to set the record straight.

Unmanaged moorlands, characterized by heavy fuel loads and difficult access, lead to more severe, prolonged, and costly firefighting operations, often requiring extensive personnel, specialized equipment, and aerial support.

Wildfire smoke far exceeds prescribed burn smoke in both quantity and harm, and that controlled burning, when used judiciously, is a net benefit for air quality and environmental protection.