What Will It Take to Learn from the Saddleworth and Howden Moor Wildfires?

Wildfires have destroyed more than 35,000 hectares of UK land so far this year, costing an estimated £350 million.

These losses are not a surprise to those who work the land. 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.

Two of the most severe wildfires in recent memory - Saddleworth Moor in 2018 and Howden Moor in 2016 - serve as clear warnings. Yet the same policy mistakes continue.

A Preventable Disaster: Saddleworth Moor, 2018

In June 2018, a major wildfire broke out on Saddleworth Moor in Greater Manchester.

What went wrong?

• The fire started on land where Natural England had effectively banned winter burns, only allowing heather management once every 23 years.

• Heather typically grows around three inches a year. Left unchecked, this created a dense and highly flammable fuel load.

• When the fire ignited, the accumulated vegetation allowed the flames to burn hotter and faster than firefighters could control. The Fire and Rescue Service had to let it burn out.

What was the cost?

• Experts described the landscape as “unmanaged in relation to the risk posed by wildfire,” with fire intensity well beyond the threshold for control.

• The fire caused lasting damage to the sub-surface peat, releasing huge amounts of stored carbon into the atmosphere.

• Around five million people in Greater Manchester were affected by smoke, with scientists estimating that dozens of premature deaths may have resulted from the poor air quality.

Why did it happen?

• The Moorland Association notes that Natural England had previously encouraged controlled burning but changed policy abruptly - without providing a workable alternative.

• Long-time moorland conservationist Geoff Eyre highlighted that early restoration work on Saddleworth had been lost because fire breaks were restricted.

A Warning Ignored: Howden Moor, 2016

Another serious incident occurred two years earlier on Howden Moor, land managed by the National Trust in the Peak District.

Background

• Roughly 20 years earlier, parts of the moor had been fenced off to “let the land go wild”, and a strict no-burn policy was introduced.

• Over time, this created the same problem seen on Saddleworth - unchecked vegetation and a dangerous fuel load.

What happened?

• In 2016, wildfire destroyed 200 acres of moorland and caused damage to nearby properties.

• Geoff Eyre, who had warned the National Trust about the increasing fire risk, said his concerns were ignored.

• He argues that landowners such as the National Trust and RSPB are rarely held accountable for fires that occur under their management, even when preventative measures were discouraged.

The Bigger Picture: Policy and Risk

These two fires are not isolated events. They are part of a wider pattern in which restrictions on traditional land management contribute to larger, more damaging wildfires. Without active intervention to reduce fuel loads - especially in dry upland areas - fires will continue to grow in scale, intensity, and cost.

Controlled burning is not about tradition for tradition’s sake. It is a practical tool with centuries of proven value in preventing exactly the kind of devastation seen at Saddleworth and Howden.

The Question Policymakers Must Face

How many more wildfires will it take before the warnings are heeded? The evidence is clear. Active management, including well-planned burning, is essential to protecting our moorlands, our communities, and our climate.

It’s time for policymakers to revisit the science, listen to those who manage the land, and restore trust in traditional land stewardship.

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