‘Habitats may take years to recover from fires’

NATURAL HABITATS and wildlife damaged by wildfires which have raged in the hot dry conditions will take years to recover, it has been warned.

Burning peat on moorlands above Manchester and Bolton may also have released hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to climate pollution.

Fire crews are battling fires in Tameside, east of Manchester, for a second week, and a similar blaze in Winter Hill near Bolton. Professor Chris Evans, from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), suggested if the peat burned down to 10cm deep across the reported burned area of 6,400 acres it could already have released about half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The depth of burned peat will not be clear until the fires die down.

Prof Evans said: “The legacy of land management and pollution means that the moorlands are not as resilient as they once were, so the vegetation that has been burned during the fires may not easily recover.”

Historic land management has left the peat dry, while acid rain created by the once heavily industrial area killed off sphagnum moss which helps retain water and protects the peat from burning.

Meanwhile, military support to Greater Manchester firefighters working to control a wildfire blaze is to be extended for another three days, Downing Street has said.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said the Army would remain in place on Saddleworth Moor near Oldham until Friday to ensure there is support and equipment to fight the fires.

About 100 troops from the Royal Regiment of Scotland have been involved in the operation. The news came as crews are battling fires in Tameside, east of Manchester, for a second week, while assisting colleagues in Lancashire at a similar blaze in Winter Hill near Bolton and dealing with routine calls in the region.

Fire chiefs in North Wales have also warned the public to take extra care after a series of fires.