Moors and controlled burning

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there are some horrendous moor fires burning at the moment and their locations strongly suggest humans are responsible for starting them

this always brings out voices talking about “controlled burning” which I understand is traditional on grouse moors as it helps baby grouse. But harms other wildlife and the soil so it seems to be deprecated/ much harder to get permission to do? To me it sounds like “it can only burn once “ or “cut off the arm and you won’t get cancer in it” ?

doss anyone understand this any better ? Would controlled burning in the key spots like saddleworth moor be a good idea or just less bad than full scale human triggered fires ?

Well yes it would be a good idea and less bad than an uncontrolled fire. It’s a controlled burn on select areas to create fire breaks so a wild fire can’t travel and grow. Controlled burns also safely target areas with a high potential to burn. Burns are relatively small and the impact on locals would be a lot less than a full scale wild fire.

The moor by us used to have controlled burning until the shooting licences were revoked due to persistent unlawful use of traps and raptor poisoning by the licencee. Controlled burning was used to increase the new growth in patches to provide food for the shooting birds when they were released before the shoot. They were never used as fire prevention methods. The burns were square patches. True fire breaks are strips perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction.

During the burning season we had several instances of controlled fires becoming uncontrolled. It also made it more difficult to know if the fire seen should be reported. In the years since the license was revoked the moorland has not had a single fire (touch wood). The moorland now has a much more diverse ecosystem with several species of water retaining mosses making a return.

Banning disposable BBQs and BBQs that aren't far enough off the ground would be a good start

Well I agree about the BBQs !

yes I remember the burns being square patches and couldn’t quite see how that would work as a fire break

One of the fires was started deliberately with fireworks.
People need to stop littering cigarettes and glass bottles (and all litter). Fireworks and disposable bbqs need to be banned.

Just think how often you see a smoker flick their finished cigarette litter put of their car window onto the verge. It's bloody criminal. I saw one chuck their cigarette litter onto tinder dry grass last week. He was gone before I could yell at him.