Well-managed Burning Can Reduce Wildfire Risk
- Rob Beeson
- May 2
- 1 min read
This is a summary of the scientific paper: Limited spatial co-occurrence of wildfire and prescribed burning on moorlands in Scotland
This study from Scotland looked closely at how prescribed burning - known as muirburn - relates to wildfires across the country.
Using aerial and satellite images from 2015 to 2020, researchers mapped where wildfires and muirburn took place. Their findings are clear: 96% of wildfires happened outside areas where muirburn is carried out.
The study found that some habitats, like heather grasslands and peatbogs, are more prone to wildfires - especially where peat soils are present. But areas managed with muirburn, such as heather heathlands on non-peat soils, showed lower wildfire impact.
This suggests muirburn may help reduce wildfire risk by managing the amount of fuel (vegetation) available to burn. It may also reflect careful land stewardship, with estate-level fire prevention plans and less risk from accidental or recreational fires.
The study makes an important point: policy and education must also focus on areas outside muirburn zones, where most wildfires actually occur.
Takeaway: For those living and working on moorland, this research supports what land managers have long known - well-managed muirburn can help reduce wildfire risk and protect rural landscapes.
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