Fight fire with fire: Can controversial muirburn cut blaze risk to landscape?
Land managers have warned of the need for preventative action and better public awareness to reduce the risk of dangerous wildfires in Scotland, which can threaten human lives, damage the environment and further drive climate change.
The warning comes after a majorblazebrokeoutnearkyle of Lochalsh in the northwest Highlands, burning for more than 24 hours and ravaging several miles of the landscape before emergency workers got the flames under control.
The latest fire comes after a spate of similar incidents in recent weeks, including a large oneontheisleoflewisandothers at Ben Lomond in Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, on Gruinard Island in Westerrossandneardornoch in Sutherland.
Thethreatofwildfiresinscotland is highest in spring, when the country is like a ‘tinderbox’ due to an abundance of dead anddryvegetationtoactasfuel.
But hot, dry summer weather canalsoraisethelikelihoodofa blaze starting.
Statistics suggest most fires – around nine out of ten – are sparked by human activities.
Gamekeepers and estate workers say muirburn, a practice that has prompted controversyoveritsimpactonwildlife and habitats, offers an effective way to lower the chances for fires to take hold and spread if ignited.
Controlled fires can burn off dry and withered vegetation to minimise the amount of combustible material available to feedfiresonmoorsandhillsides and help them spread, they say.
Similartechniquesareusedin othercountrieswherewildfires are even more common.
“All of us – land managers, government and the public – should be concerned about a proliferationinwildfireevents,” said Tim Baynes, moorland directoratmembershiporganisation
Scottish Land & Estates. “Not only do wildfires release huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, they also have the potential to devastate peatland and woodland sites.
“It is vital that we manage this increased risk appropriately and whilst encouraging education on how wildfires start and then spread.”
A study published by Met Officescientistsearlierthisyear warned of an increasing danger from wildfires in the UK as a result of climate change.
The researchers concluded that wildfires should be considered an “emergent risk” for the nation and highlighted the potential impacts on the environment – warning “irrecoverable damage to peat soils is a
particular concern as they represent a significant store of carbon, especially in Scotland”.
Members of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) fear the current drive to plantmoretreesandencourage naturallandscaperegeneration in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reverse the loss of wildlife could also provide more fuel for fires.
Aspokesmanforthesgasaid: “Scotland is encouraging more and more afforestation and shrub cover.
“Whilst this may be beneficial for climate change, it also encourages the build-up of flammable fuel across the landscape, at the same time as weather is changing.
“Withoutmanagementofthis fuel load, wildfires can burn over extensive areas.
“Even if the ground is sodden inlatespringandearlysummer a fire will take hold if vegetation above is dry.
“Once big fuel loads are burning, fire can spread quickly and pass over wet ground – even skipping over roads and rivers if flames are high and burning with enough intensity.”
Themuirburnseasoninscotland usually lasts from 1 October to 15 April, but there are plans to bring in licencing for the practice later this year.
“Thereislittledoubtthatscotleadforthesfrs,said:“theserviceisadaptingtomeetthepredictedriseinweatherextremes landisexperiencingmorewildfiresinrecentyears,”mrbaynes added.
“Weareseeingwetterwinters butinotherperiods,particularly in spring, rainfall is less than it was historically. This has led to prolonged drier conditions where dead vegetation is more susceptible to wildfires. These are often started accidentally and can spread quickly.
“Incountrieswithhighertemperatures,suchasaustralia,the US and Spain, controlled burninghasbeenpractisedforalong time to prevent wildfires.
“Domestically, the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service has recently endorsed it as an important land management tool to reduce fuel load and avoid the sort of ferocious blaze witnessed in the Flow Country in 2019 which releases carbon.”
Occurrencesofwildfireshave been increasing in the UK and acrosstheworldinrecentyears.
Last weekend, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) issuedan‘extremewildfirerisk’, citing weather conditions such as low humidity, sunshine, dry conditions and winds, and urged caution. Wildfires are often tackled by hand, with beaters, by crews with support from local land workers.
It stated: “Dead grass, leaves, twigs and heather on the ground will dry quite quickly in these conditions and when ignited can burn very fast with extreme fire intensity.”
Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Bruce Farquharson, wildfire
in the years to come to protect communities.weareintheprocess of introducing a National Wildfirestrategywhichconsiderstheincreasedriskofwildfire and changing climate in Scotland.
"The strategy includes the latest developments in wildfire management, training and operationalprocedures,aswell as advances in PPE and equipment technologies. We will continue to work closely with the land management sector to ensure we have an effective partnership approach to prevent wildfires."