National Trust and West Yorkshire Fire And Rescue Service warning to those putting lives at risk

The warning comes after a number of moorland fires which saw dozens of firefighters called away from other duties, including supporting ambulance staff during the coronavirus outbreak.

One of the incidents saw a fire on National Trust land near Deer Hill reservoir in Kirklees.

The fire covered approximately 300m by 700m of moorland. Ten fire appliances attended, with firefighters working for several hours to extinguish the fire. National Trust rangers were also on the scene to provide local knowledge and access for WYFRS.

The cause of the fire is unknown, but it was not due to any controlled burning. The National Trust does not carry out controlled burning on Marsden Moor.

Last April, a huge fire caused by a BBQ destroyed 700 hectares of moorland, impacting wildlife such as ground nesting birds and mountain hare. It also damaged the moor’s peat soils, an important tool in the fight against climate change.

Lead Ranger, Tom Harman, said, “The moors are very vulnerable at this time; the grass is very dry and many birds are nesting on the ground. It’s so frustrating that our message does not seem to be getting through and once again emergency services are taken away from important work, like supporting ambulance staff during the coronavirus outbreak.”

Countryside Manager, Craig Best, said, “The rangers worked incredibly hard yesterday alongside West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue to extinguish this fire quickly. At a time when we are all concerned about the impact of the coronavirus, this is not a job I want my team to be dealing with. The moors are very dry, despite all the rain we had at the start of the year. It is important that we protect the many hundreds of thousands of pounds we have spent on moorland restoration to improve water quality, store carbon, improve homes for wildlife and reduce flood risk.”