Yet More Wildfires: This Growing National Threat Demands Urgent Action

Recent weeks have seen a notable increase in wildfire incidents across the UK, highlighting the significant risks posed by warm, dry weather coupled with an excess fuel load of vegetation which has not been managed due to government red-tape.

These fires have prompted responses from emergency services, affected local infrastructure, impacted wildlife, and reignited debates on land management and resource allocation.

Devastation on Dartmoor

In Dartmoor National Park, a recent wildfire destroyed 500 hectares of land. Sheep farmer Tracy May believes changes to livestock grazing have played a major role. She points to agri-environment schemes that have restricted the amount of livestock commoners can turn out or set stocking levels, leading to areas that are seriously under-grazed.

An "unintended consequence" of this is the build-up of dead Molinia, a type of wild purple grass that grows in huge quantities on Dartmoor and is highly flammable.

Tracy May suggests the only way to break up these vast areas dominated by Molinia vegetation is with livestock.

Nick Bruce-White from Devon Wildlife Trust described the recent fire as "pretty catastrophic" for wildlife. It occurred at a particularly bad time, just as birds were starting to nest and have young (such as skylarks, meadow pipits, and cuckoos). Reptiles were also just emerging from hibernation, and small mammals like mice and voles were giving birth to their young.

Moorland Blaze in Halifax, West Yorkshire

Further north, in West Yorkshire, the fire service issued a plea for public help to prevent further wildfires as emergency services dealt with a moorland blaze in the Cold Edge Road area of Halifax.

At its most intense, nine fire engines, along with specialist wildfire teams and support personnel, attended the site. Fire crews remained on site dampening down flames and monitoring for hotspots.

The service described the fire at its height as "a fast-moving fire across difficult terrain". They noted that this incident was just the latest in a series of serious wildfires in West Yorkshire.

The service specifically urged people to reduce the risk by not holding barbecues or campfires on the moorland. They also advised taking litter home, especially glass bottles, and respecting Public Space Protection Orders.

The fire service highlighted that wildfires don't just damage the landscape; they destroy habitats, threaten lives and wildlife, and place huge pressure on emergency services.

Woodland Wildfire in West Lothian

In Scotland, firefighters battled a large woodland wildfire near Fauldhouse in West Lothian for a fifth day. Emergency services were dispatched on a Saturday, and by the following Wednesday morning, two appliances remained at the scene, working to extinguish sporadic hotspots.

At its peak, 50 firefighters and a helicopter were tackling the fire. The incident affected 100 hectares. The wildfire broke out as an “extreme” risk of wildfires was issued across mainland Scotland due to the warm, dry weather, a warning that remained in place until May 12. The current weather conditions in Scotland mean the risks of wildfires are higher.

People living nearby the Fauldhouse fire were urged to keep their windows and doors closed due to the smoke. The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) stated the incident highlighted the need to reverse cuts to fire and rescue services.

The Scottish Greens claimed the fire and the extreme warning signal that Scotland is on the frontline of the climate crisis.

Fires in Cumbria and Bolton

The North West has also seen fire incidents. The East Lancashire Railway suspended steam train services due to concerns about wildfires. Bosses stated that steam trains can cause fires due to sparks and embers igniting the embankment.

All scheduled steam services were replaced by diesel engines until further notice, prioritising safety due to the ongoing dry weather and high fire risk. This decision comes as the north west has experienced its driest start to a year for almost a century, and the UK is seeing one of the worst years on record for wildfires.

Elsewhere in the region, firefighters were called to tackle a wildfire near Cumbria’s RAF Spadeadam. The fire broke out around 2.5km north of the range and was attended by the RAF Spadeadam fire crew, who requested back-up from the local authority, with crews from multiple stations assisting.

Further south, in Bolton, firefighters battled a wildfire in the Rivington/Belmont area. Six fire engines and special appliances were in attendance. Drones were being used by the fire service, and members of the public were asked not to fly their own drones nearby as they would obstruct emergency operations.

Roads were closed off, and police assisted, advising the public to avoid the area. This was the second moorland fire reported that day in the area, with the fire service also called to Holcombe Hill earlier.

Urgent Action is Required

We have been urging the Government to provide leadership on wildfire prevention since we wrote to the Home Secretary in January highlighting the serious and imminent threat.

In April we wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister, once again pointing out that it was essential that policy around controlled burning restrictions was changed in order reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.

It’s now the middle of May and each day brings news of yet more outbreaks of wildfire across the country. Urgent action is required now.

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