128 Close Calls: The Untold Story of Wildfire Prevention in the Yorkshire Dales
Quick Summary
UK wildfire incidents reached a record high in 2026, threatening sensitive upland habitats.
Gamekeepers recorded 128 interventions between May and August, preventing potential fires across the Yorkshire Dales.
Incidents included campfires, disposable barbecues, fire pits, gas stoves and deliberate vehicle arson.
Regular patrols, public engagement and specialist equipment protected thousands of hectares of internationally important moorland.
This blog post was written by the Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group.
As expected, the crucial subject of wildfire has faded from the news with every passing rainy day of autumn. But wildfire remains an incredibly important topic especially in the uplands where extensive damage to important habitats can be particularly impacting.
According to official statistics, 2026 has been the worst year ever for wildfire incidents in the UK. But is there another untold story that never reaches the media? What about those 'close call' events or the fires that were prevented?
For obvious reasons these incidents aren't newsworthy. The fact that a catastrophe never happened means these events are seldom spoken of, almost as if they were irrelevant.
Surveying the Unseen Danger
The Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group conducted a survey of its gamekeepers to evaluate the number of potential wildfire incidents that were stopped before they had chance to escalate.
Additionally we asked for reports of any episodes that required a response or direct interaction with the public to prevent incident. The responses received were not only disturbing, but quite staggering.
A Summer of Staggering Interventions
In the period May to August the number of interventions our keepers had to make stood at 128 incidents. These situations involved already lit or about to be lit campfires, other open flame events (burning or attempting to burn wood and waste), multiple disposable BBQ's, fire pits and gas stoves.
One incident involved an abandoned car that was torched on moorland by joy riders. Let’s pause and consider how many wildfires were prevented by our moorland gamekeepers.
Some estates and keepers reported a significant number of incidents stating that fire monitoring and engaging with the public took up more of their time than routine gamekeeping duties during the dry weather of summer.
Estates within driving distance of built-up areas and those with regularly used lay-bys were the most affected. But it wasn’t just sites popular with visitors. Several fires or 'close shaves' occurred in more remote areas where only the keepers could police the areas adequately.
Some keepers said they'd lost track of the number of times they'd stopped illegal camping, BBQs and dangerous sources of ignition.
Without the Keepers, Who Protects the Moorland?
The question we want everyone to ask themselves is this: without the keepers who would have stopped these fires? Who would have raised the alarm and how many hectares of precious moorland would have burned if our vigilant keepers weren't patrolling the areas?
These are very valid and important issues notwithstanding the specialist equipment our estates utilise to stop wildfires. Sometimes you don't know what you've got 'till it’s gone.
Once again our keepers have protected thousands of hectares of internationally important habitat against wildfire, and this has happened all beneath the fervent media reporting during the driest summer on record.
Well done YDMG.
