Moorland fires cost £21m to economy and impacted on air quality for five million

WILDFIRES WHICH ripped across Saddleworth Moor in the summer of 2018 may have impacted on the air quality for over five million people, new research suggests, at an economic cost of over £21m.

The fires, which broke out on Saddleworth and Winter Hill moors, burned for about three weeks from June that year, with the Army called in to assist 100 firefighters as they battled to control them.

In a new study, led by researchers from the University of Leeds, experts have used computer simulation to calculate the impact on air quality and health.

The fire impacted across a huge area, they found, including Bolton, Wigan and Southport, with five million people exposed to high levels of pollution.

As many as nine people’s deaths could have been brought forward by exposure, the research suggests, with such levels of pollution contributing to mortality from heart disease and strokes.

Such fires are relatively rare in the UK, researchers add, with little known until now about the impact when they do occur so close to urban populations.

“It’s clear from this study that the pollution from wildfires can have a significant effect on public health,” said the authors.

“The smoke contains very high levels of toxic particulate matter aerosol, which can be transported long distances. When this smoke passes over urban areas it adds to an already polluted environment and can cause very poor air quality.

“We should be aware that the smoke from wildfires can travel long distances, and can damage people’s health, even far from the fires. Particulate pollution from the fires substantially degraded air quality over the north-west of England, leading the pollution levels much above the recommended levels.”

The study has been published in Environmental Research Letters.