LAND managers are calling on the Scottish Government to support controlled burning to help prevent wildfires.
Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), the body that represents rural businesses and land managers, said 440 wildfires have been reported in the UK this week, in both rural and urban areas.
The organisation said that controlled burning would reduce the amount of vegetation at risk of catching fire during hot weather.
“Muirburn” – the controlled burning of heather and vegetation from autumn into spring – is already carried out in many areas of rural Scotland by land managers, gamekeepers, and farmers.
Ross Ewing, moorland director at SLE, said: “As climate change progresses, this week’s heatwave has demonstrated that Scotland is not immune from extreme weather patterns.
“The creation of tinderbox conditions enables wildfires to spread rapidly on dry ground that is thick with vegetation, endangering lives and property, as well as damaging the environment and landscape.
“The massive wildfire in the Flow Country in 2019 was estimated to have doubled Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions for the six days it burnt, according to WWF – that is the scenario we must take proactive steps to avoid in future.”
He added: “Muirburn, which is undertaken during the cooler autumn and spring months, is a valuable land management tool, which has been undertaken by skilled land managers for centuries.
“The Scottish Fire & Rescue Service has supported its use and we would like to see greater recognition from government about the role muirburn can play in future.”
SLE pointed to fire brigades in France, Portugal, and Spain using controlled burning this week to create fire breaks as they tackle raging wildfires.
Ewing added: “A recent University of Cambridge study found that infrequent, cooler fires can increase soil carbon retention through the formation of charcoal and soil aggregates that protect from decomposition.
“There are many critics of muirburn, particularly those who do not like its association with grouse moor management, but the reality is that controlled burning should have a huge role to play in keeping rural Scotland safe for decades to come.”
Similar calls for North of England
SLE’s calls were echoed south of the Border today by the Moorland Association, the members of which manage nearly one million acres of heather moorland.
Mark Cunliffe-Lister, chair of the association, said: “We have all seen the horrific impact of wildfire as never before and wherever a wildfire takes hold, the fuel load is what will determine the consequences.
“We need to take on board what people facing different threats around the world are learning – the best possible way to tackle wildfire is through managing the vegetation.
“This is the available fuel for the fire.
“Our focus is on the moors of northern England and wildfire is the greatest single threat to this precious upland habitat.
“Government ministers recently acknowledged during an uplands workshop that the threat needs to be taken more seriously and what we need now is to act on the lessons learned.”
Read more stories on Scottish Field’s wildlife pages.
Plus, don’t miss Richard Bath’s look at what can be done to tackle a lack of affordable rural housing in the August issue of Scottish Field magazine.
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