Protecting Our Peatlands: Why Strategic Land Management is Key to Mitigating Wildfire Risk and Toxic Release

Photo from BBC showing darkened peat at the surface where two centuries' worth of pollution is stored.

A recent BBC news story highlights researchers' findings that UK peatlands store toxic heavy metals from centuries of industrial pollution, warning these could be released into water systems by wildfires and climate change, posing health risks, and suggesting rewetting as a vital solution.

At the Moorland Association, we affirm the critical importance of peatlands as vast carbon stores and vital habitats, and we share the concern regarding the potential release of toxic pollutants like lead and cadmium, previously locked within peat, during wildfires.

Indeed, the 2018 Saddleworth Moor wildfire tragically exposed five million people to dangerous pollution and was linked to dozens of premature deaths. This underscores the urgent need for effective wildfire prevention.

Our perspective, grounded in decades of practical land stewardship and supported by scientific evidence, emphasises that the most effective way to prevent these catastrophic releases is through proactive fuel load management, including via controlled burning.

Unlike destructive, intense wildfires that burn deep into carbon-rich peat soils and can smoulder for months, controlled "cool" burns are carefully planned and executed to target only the top-most vegetation, preserving the vital peat layers beneath.

This technique reduces the dangerous accumulation of dry vegetation, creating firebreaks that limit the spread and intensity of uncontrollable blazes. Emissions from controlled burns are primarily from recently absorbed carbon and can be carbon neutral.

While the news story highlights rewetting, it is crucial to understand that its effectiveness as a sole wildfire prevention strategy is often questioned. Many areas have natural limits to how wet they can be and will dry out in summer regardless of rewetting efforts, leaving surface vegetation vulnerable.

The Moorland Association consistently advocates for policies that support traditional land management practices, including controlled burning and strategic grazing. Our members, who are the "eyes and ears" on the ground, possess invaluable local knowledge and expertise, often being the first responders to wildfires and assisting fire and rescue services.

We urge policymakers to prioritize a pragmatic, holistic, and evidence-based approach that empowers land managers with the necessary tools, like controlled burning, to mitigate wildfire risk effectively and protect our precious peatlands and communities from the devastating consequences of toxic pollutant release.

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