Wildfires Worsen as Natural England Blocks Traditional Moorland Management

There has been a steep 73% reduction in fuel load management on our moors since 2021 which has greatly exacerbated the risk of catastrophic wildfires.

This sharp decline in the areas of moorland being managed through traditional winter burns or cutting was reported by an RSPB-funded study, in the immediate aftermath of Natural England's ban on burning imposed under the Heather and Grass etc Burning (England) Regulations 2021.

This suggests that neither burning or cutting were taking place in these affected areas, leading to a rapid increase in unmanaged vegetation.

The Larger Context: Fuel Load Accumulation

Fuel load refers to the accumulation of dry vegetation, such as older heather and bracken, which turns moorlands into "tinderboxes". When this vegetation is allowed to grow unchecked, it creates a "disaster waiting to happen". A greater fuel load directly leads to hotter and more prolonged fires, capable of immense damage to the landscape, including subsurface peat.

Wildfire experts warn that such a growth in fuel load can lead to "megafires" that are beyond the capacity of fire and rescue services to control, potentially generating their own unpredictable and dangerous winds.

Policies and Factors Contributing to Fuel Load Accumulation

The dramatic increase in fuel load, and specifically the 73% reduction in management, can be attributed to several interconnected factors:

Natural England's Restrictions and Bans

The primary driver of the 73% reduction was Natural England's policies, particularly the Heather and Grass etc Burning (England) Regulations 2021, which banned burning on deep peat areas within certain protected sites unless licensed by Defra.

This policy shift has been seen as a "deliberate policy" to increase fuel load, rather than negligence. Natural England has been accused of "micro-management" and of having an "ideological antipathy to grouse shooting," which critics argue hinders effective, broad-scale wildfire prevention.

The licensing process for burning and even cutting is slow, overly complicated, and restrictive, making it difficult for land managers to obtain necessary permissions. There are also ongoing proposals to further restrict burning by changing the definition of "deep peat" from over 40cm to over 30cm depth and extending the ban to all land within Less Favoured Areas.

Reduced Grazing

Policies, including incentives for farmers to reduce sheep numbers, have led to a significant decrease in natural vegetation removal. The reduction in the national sheep flock leaves an estimated 600,000 tonnes of extra vegetation annually. This contributes to a "perfect storm" for fuel load build-up. In contrast, the EU and USA encourage grazing for wildfire prevention.

Rewilding and Tree Planting Schemes

Efforts like rewilding and intensive tree planting on moorlands can also increase fuel loads. These schemes can "refuel fire prone areas".

Climate Change

Warmer, wetter winters encourage more vegetation growth, while lower relative humidity in summers causes plants to dry out faster, contributing to higher fuel loads and making vegetation more flammable. This extends the fire season and increases high-risk days, with predictions of a quadrupling of high-risk days by 2080.

Consequences of High Fuel Loads and Intense Burns

The increase in fuel load, particularly due to the 73% reduction in management, directly contributes to:

Catastrophic Wildfires

Huge wildfires are inevitable when vegetation is allowed to grow unchecked. These fires are more intense, spread rapidly across vast areas, and can become "megafires" beyond the control of fire services. Wildfire incidents are escalating, with 2022 being a record year for large wildfires in England, and 2025 already surpassing that record.

Severe Carbon Emissions

Intense wildfires, especially those burning deep into carbon-rich peat soils (which store more carbon than all the trees in Britain and France combined), release vast amounts of CO2. The 2018 Saddleworth Moor fire released an estimated half a million tonnes of CO2, a loss that takes centuries to be re-absorbed. Drier conditions cause fires to burn deeper, leading to much greater carbon loss.

Human Health and Safety Risks

Wildfire smoke contains harmful pollutants, including toxic substances like lead and cadmium deposited during the Industrial Revolution. The Saddleworth fire exposed five million people to dangerous pollution and was linked to dozens of premature deaths. Firefighters' lives are also put at significant risk.

Environmental and Economic Destruction

Wildfires devastate habitats, endanger rare species (especially ground-nesting birds during nesting season), contaminate drinking water, and incur significant financial burdens. Costs can range from hundreds to tens of thousands of pounds per hectare, potentially exceeding £20,000/ha for severe deep peat blazes. In 2025 alone, wildfires cost the UK over £350 million by May.

Criticism of Natural England's Role and Current Policy

Natural England faces heavy criticism for its policies that restricted fuel load management, leading to the 73% reduction and its consequences:

Flawed Science and Misinformation

Natural England's policies are based on questionable research and misinformation, such as the EMBER study, which has been described as "experimentally flawed" and methodologically unsound, comparing "apples and oranges". Natural England simplify complex dynamics around carbon cycling and vegetation.

Lack of Expertise

Natural England and Defra do not have any in-house wildfire experts, leading to "flawed alternatives" like mowing and planting sphagnum moss which can become tinder when dry.

Disregard for Local Knowledge

Land managers and gamekeepers, who possess extensive on-the-ground expertise, feel ignored by policymakers and "desktop conservationists" at Natural England.

Bureaucracy and Mistrust

The licensing process for management is slow, overly complicated, and hindering effective action, causing a "fundamental breakdown in trust with landowners". Natural England appears to be "anti-shooting", seemingly restricting activities to make traditional land management unviable, with some suggesting the ultimate goal is "nationalisation" of moorlands.

Proposed Solutions and Alternatives

The Moorland Association and other stakeholders strongly advocate for a "major rethink" and "urgent leadership" to adopt pragmatic, long-term, and holistic land management approaches.

Controlled Burning (Muirburn/Cool Burning)

This traditional technique is vital. It involves carefully planned, low-intensity fires, typically in winter, to reduce dry vegetation. It targets only the top-most vegetation, preserving carbon-rich peat soils, and can be carbon neutral or even encourage carbon capture through moss growth and biochar formation.

Controlled burns also create firebreaks that hinder the spread of larger, uncontrolled blazes. Research indicates that 96% of wildfires occurred outside areas where controlled burning is practiced. Fire chiefs in Scotland and Wales have endorsed its use.

Grazing

Animals like sheep can effectively manage vegetation and reduce fuel loads. Policies in the EU and USA encourage this for wildfire prevention.

Contrast with Cutting

While cutting is promoted as an alternative by Natural England, some argue it can be "worse than doing nothing". This is because cutting leaves behind a highly combustible layer of dead fuel that dries out quickly, potentially increasing fire spread. It can also damage microtopography, create tick habitats, and has less scientific backing regarding its long-term effects on carbon cycling and water quality compared to burning.

Conclusion

In essence, the 73% reduction in fuel management since 2021 is a direct consequence of problematic policies, leading to an alarmingly high fuel load accumulation that threatens the UK's moorlands with increasingly destructive and costly wildfires. We urge a swift return to proven, proactive land management techniques, especially controlled burning, based on practical experience and sound science.

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