Wildfires

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.

The summer of 2022 saw London face its worst wildfire outbreak on record, fuelled by extreme heat and parched green spaces.

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.

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.

Limiting wildfire carbon emissions – through better fire prevention, rapid suppression, ecosystem restoration, and climate change mitigation – will be crucial for meeting long-term emissions targets and preserving the carbon storage functions of the world’s forests and peatlands.

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.

There are several recent examples of the 'protection gap' from wildfires that have taken place around the world. The ‘protection gap’ refers to the difference between total economic losses from wildfires and the portion of those losses that are covered by insurance payouts.

Scotland’s largest recorded wildfire event - which scorched more than 11,800 hectares of moorland and woodland near Carrbridge and Dava - has triggered a detailed review by Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) into how land-based businesses responded.