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WILDFIRE LESSONS MUST BE LEARNED
How often do we hear that lessons need to be learned coupled with a promise that ‘we’re listening’? For gamekeepers across the country that pledge rings exceedingly hollow. Wildfire is the greatest single threat in the uplands. Year after year we have seen vast swathes of land ravaged by wildfire, leaving a trail of devastation afflicting bird species, their habitats and the peat that plays such an essential role in carbon capture.
A discarded cigarette, a portable barbecue or a camp fire are all common causes of wildfire and the damage done is catastrophic. Of course, fire needs fuel and that happens when there is a build-up of vegetation. On moorland, that vegetation is often cut and traditionally burned in a controlled and skilled operation.
This type of management is supported by the fire and rescue services, but gamekeepers and land managers are truly dismayed to see decision makers be so reluctant to accept that controlled burning in the right
