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Wildfires
Latest news, advice and opinion on wildfires in the UK.


Controlled Burning Cuts Wildfire Smoke Costs by Two-Thirds, Study Finds
Counting the wildfire smoke it prevents, controlled burning cut Oregon's smoke-related health costs by 65% and returned $4.35 for every dollar spent.

Rob Beeson
3 hours ago3 min read


Ministers Are Ignoring 15 Years of Their Own Burning Evidence: Our Letter to The Telegraph
The Moorland Association responds to The Telegraph's wildfire coverage: ministers are ignoring fifteen years of Defra's own evidence on controlled burning.

Andrew Gilruth
2 days ago1 min read


Why Suppressing Fire Without Managing Fuel Makes the Next Blaze Worse
Blanket fire suppression fuels worse blazes. Learn how global fire ecology research supports managed burning to prevent devastating wildfires on British moorlands.

Rob Beeson
3 days ago3 min read


US Wildfire Prevention Returned $3.73 Per $1: UK Policy Has No Equivalent
US data proves prescribed burning yields a $3.73 return for every $1 spent on wildfire prevention. Discover why UK upland policy urgently needs a similar study.

Rob Beeson
May 214 min read


Peat Combustion Drove 85% of Emissions from the UK's First Recorded Megafire
A Nature Geoscience study finds the 2025 Dava Moor megafire emitted 38,600 tonnes of carbon - 85% of it from peat combustion driven by anomalously dry soils.

Rob Beeson
May 203 min read


New Climate Change Committee Report: Moorlands Need Practical Wildfire Management
A new CCC report warns of rising UK wildfire risks. Discover why practical moorland management and fuel-load control are vital for climate adaptation.

Andrew Gilruth
May 205 min read


What The RSPB's Air-Quality Paper Leaves Out
The RSPB and Leeds want grouse-moor licensing on air-quality grounds. The 2025 wildfire data - and their own figures - point the other way.

Rob Beeson
May 186 min read


Thank You: Why Our EFRA Wildfire Submission Matters
Read the Moorland Association's key themes for EFRA's Wildfire inquiry: active fuel management, rural capability & nature recovery. Submit your evidence by 18 May

Andrew Gilruth
May 153 min read


Don't Wait Until the Next Major Fire Costs Lives: Our Letter to The Guardian
Wildfire policy can't wait for a 999 call. Read our letter to The Guardian urging the government to prioritise vegetation management for public safety.

Andrew Gilruth
May 131 min read


Burnt Ground, Standing Water: What Appleton Common Tells Us About Wildfire
Photos from the Appleton Common wildfire in North Yorkshire show burnt vegetation above standing water - proof that fuel loads, not wet ground, drive fire spread.

Rob Beeson
May 111 min read


Why We Need a Rural Partnership for Wildfire Prevention and Response
Tackle the UK wildfire crisis by integrating skilled gamekeepers and controlled burning to support our overstretched fire services, urges the Moorland Association.

Rob Beeson
May 113 min read


The Cutting Myth: Why Heather Cutting Failed to Stop the Snake Moors Wildfire
Snake Moors wildfire footage proves cutting fails to stop landscape fires and worsens peat burning. We must use all available tools to manage surface fuel loads.

Rob Beeson
May 81 min read
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