Gamekeepers head off moorland fire threats 

Campfires sparked first blaze

Two wildfires on protected moorland near Heptonstall in April have underlined the role gamekeepers play as first responders on the uplands, where local knowledge and rapid reaction can mean the difference between a fire caught early and one that strips thousands of acres of irreplaceable peatland.

The Regional Moorland Groups say gamekeepers were instrumental in containing both blazes before they could spread, after walkers lit campfires on open moorland in defiance of extensive warning signage.

In the first incident, gamekeepers spotted members of the public lighting campfires on a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The fire service was alerted and the gamekeeping team moved to extinguish the flames. A drop in the wind helped contain the blaze. The three responsible had passed three separate warning signs on their way to the spot and are to receive Public Spaces Protection Order notices.

Days later, fire crews were called to a blaze on moorland dominated by Molinia, or purple moor-grass, which the groups say can carry fire rapidly across vast areas of open ground, making early intervention critical.

.

Growing wildfire concerns

A Calderdale gamekeeper, speaking anonymously, said: “We have had two situations in a matter of days that could easily have resulted in serious fires and both were preventable.

“The signs are there, put up by estates, the Regional Moorland Groups, the fire service and the council, but people walk straight past them, lighting campfires on ground that could be destroyed in minutes.

“Without our team and the fire service responding so quickly, we would be looking at a very different picture.”