What Are ‘Fire Highways’ and Why Are They a Ticking Time Bomb?

The risk of catastrophic wildfire on England's iconic moorlands is increasing. A combination of a warming climate and recent policy changes is creating the perfect conditions for disaster on a scale we have not seen before.

Beneath the wild beauty of these landscapes, unseen dangers are forming. We call them "Fire Highways" - vast, unbroken corridors of overgrown vegetation that are turning our moors into tinderboxes.

What is a "Fire Highway"?

To protect our moorlands, we must first understand how the condition of the landscape itself creates wildfire risk. It is not enough to simply hope for rain; we must manage the fuel that a fire consumes.

A "Fire Highway" is a corridor of continuous, overgrown vegetation that allows fire to spread rapidly and uncontrollably across the landscape. Think of it as an uninterrupted fuse stretching for miles across the moors, waiting for a single spark.

These highways are not a natural phenomenon but a direct result of recent policy changes. Since 2021, regulations have led to a staggering ~73% reduction in the area of moorland managed by controlled burning. With this traditional management practice largely halted, the fuel is building up.

Without management, heather, grass, and scrub grow unchecked. Scientific studies show that fuel loads can increase from a manageable ~2-4 tonnes per hectare on a managed moor to a catastrophic 10-15+ tonnes per hectare within 15-20 years. This creates a thick, uniform carpet of highly flammable material, ready to carry a blaze with terrifying speed and intensity.

This fuel-choked landscape sets the stage for fires that are beyond our ability to control, posing a direct threat to our environment, our communities, and the firefighters tasked with protecting them.

Why These Highways are a Catastrophe in Waiting

The danger posed by a Fire Highway is not theoretical. It has been quantified by scientific modeling and proven by the devastating consequences of real-world fires. The evidence points to one conclusion: we are creating the conditions for an inevitable catastrophe.

Heavy fuel loads translate directly into extreme fire behaviour. A landmark wildfire risk assessment in the Peak District modelled what would happen in these overgrown landscapes under severe weather conditions. The results are a stark warning:

• Flame lengths can reach an astonishing ~7.6 metres—nearly the height of a two-story house.

• The fire can race across the landscape at ~2.4 km/h, fast enough to outrun ground crews in difficult terrain.

• This extreme behaviour far exceeds the ~3.4-metre flame length threshold, beyond which it is impossible for ground crews to safely and directly control a blaze.

When a fire reaches this intensity, the consequences are severe. It poses an immense danger to the lives of firefighters, threatens the homes and infrastructure of communities bordering the moors, and incinerates rare habitats and the wildlife within them.

The environmental impact is equally catastrophic. A severe fire doesn't just skim the surface; it can burn deep into the fragile peat soil, releasing vast stores of carbon into the atmosphere. The 2018 Saddleworth Moor fire, which burned through unmanaged vegetation, emitted an estimated 0.5 million tonnes of CO₂ - a climate catastrophe that undermines national carbon reduction goals.

This destructive potential is the direct consequence of allowing Fire Highways to form. But just as this problem has a clear cause, it also has a proven and effective solution.

The Solution: Building Firebreaks to Block the Highways

Active fuel management, particularly the traditional practice of controlled burning, is the most effective strategy for dismantling Fire Highways and building a resilient landscape that can withstand wildfire. This isn't about fighting fire with fire; it's about using precision and skill to prevent disaster.

This time-tested practice creates a "mosaic" of different-aged vegetation across the moor. Small, carefully managed cool-weather burns create patches of young, low-fuel regrowth next to areas of more mature heather. This patchwork acts as a network of natural firebreaks, slowing a wildfire's spread or stopping it in its tracks when it runs out of fuel.

The benefits of this proactive approach are clear, protecting our environment, economy, and communities.

• Slows and Contains Wildfires: When a wildfire encounters a recently burned patch, it runs out of sufficient fuel. This keeps fires smaller, less intense, and far more manageable for firefighting crews.

• Protects Communities and Firefighters: By maintaining lower fuel loads, the intensity of any wildfire is drastically reduced. Flame lengths in a managed landscape typically remain within the 1-2 metre range, a level that ground crews can safely and effectively handle, preventing fires from threatening homes and lives.

• Preserves Precious Peatlands: Cool, quick controlled burns are designed to consume only the surface vegetation, leaving the carbon-rich, damp peat soil underneath intact. This stands in sharp contrast to severe wildfires, where an astonishing 98% of the total carbon loss can come from the destruction of the peat layer itself.

• Safeguards Rural Economies: Proactive management prevents the enormous costs of fighting mega-fires, which can exceed £20,000 per hectare and in 2025 alone has cost the UK over £460 million. It also protects industries like farming and tourism from long-term disruption.

This is a strategy of prevention, not just reaction. It is about actively shaping a landscape that is safer, healthier, and better prepared for the challenges of a changing climate.

A Call for Action to Protect Our Moorlands

The evidence is undeniable: the current "hands-off" approach to moorland management is creating Fire Highways and leading England toward inevitable wildfire disasters.

A proven, science-led solution exists. Active fuel management through controlled burning offers a future where our moors are more resilient, our communities are safer, and our precious peatland ecosystems are protected from catastrophic fire.

The warnings from scientists are clear: under current policy, a catastrophic fire is not a question of if, but when. We urge policymakers to heed this warning and embrace a balanced, proactive approach to vegetation management, restoring the tools needed to protect our iconic moorlands for generations to come.

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