If you are a smoker and
visit the moors, get yourself a disposable ashtray. Now there
is no need to stub your cigarette out in the peat and potentially
start a fire. Visit www.buttsandgum.com
or alternatively find a Ranger on the moors and ask for a
free one - compliments of Moors for the Future.
Following a successful pilot scheme in 2005 where we bought
2,000 pouches to hand out to smokers, the Countryside Agency
purchased a further 10,000 in 2006 for us to give away and
help prevent fires started by discarded cigarettes.
In 2008, following the launch of a new eco-friendly disposable
ashtray- boodi -, we took delivery of a further 4,000 ashtrays
which are available from National Park Rangers and Fire Personnel
patrolling the moors. |
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Accidental fires seriously threaten the fragile
moorland habitats of the Peak District. Accidental fires occur during
the drier summer months when the water table is lower. The peat
is drier and more flammable and dead vegetation also makes the Moors
very combustible in summer. These fires can extend for several miles
and burn deep into the peat, which sterilises the soil. Loss of
vegetation means natural forces such as wind and rain erode the
exposed peat and so increase the loss of this irreplaceable habitat.
In addition, early summer fires can have a disastrous effect on
wildlife when birds are nesting and sheep lambing. Moorland fires
pose a huge financial burden because they are inaccessible, so specialised
equipment, including helicopters, is often used to supply the water
needed to control the fires.
If you are visiting the Moors, be aware of
the risks of moorland damage from fires. You can help by being careful
yourself, being alert to the danger, and taking action if you see
an accidental fire.
The main causes of accidental fires are arson,
discarded cigarettes, campfires and camping stoves, out of control
managed burns, and in some rare cases, lightening and sunlight magnifying
on broken glass. Statistically it appears most fires occur at weekends,
especially Saturdays, and near to footpaths. If you do see
a moorland fire after the 15th April or before the 1st October please
report it by dialling `999`.
Pick up a copy of our 'Fire Kills' leaflet
from Peak District Visitor Centres.
You may see small moorland fires in the winter.
Traditionally, heather dominated moorlands have been managed by
burning between 1st October and the 15th April each year for the
benefit of grouse shooting. Experienced moorland managers (keepers)
undertake controlled burning over small areas on a cycle of eight
to twenty years during the wetter winter months to create a mosaic
of uneven aged heather stands that provide a mix of nesting cover
and young tender shoots for the grouse to feed on. While the Peak
District moorlands are perceived as wild and natural, it is this
management that has created the landscape and without this controlled
burning large tracts of the moors would be covered in trees and
shrubs.
Due to increased concerns about fire risk
in the Peak District, two advisory panels were created to advice
on fire issues in the National Park. The
Fire Advisory Panel and Fire Operations Group are made up of
key representatives from landowners, users and fire services. Click
on the links below to take you to each of the fire services who
operate in the Peak District:
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