In April last year, fire swept across 40-hectares of the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths taking 160 firefighters eight hours to extinguish. It was the third major fire at the conservation site in seven years.
It takes around a decade for habitats to fully recover after a fire, with spring fires posing the greatest risk to wildlife, particularly ground nesting birds.
The Heaths are owned by Clinton Devon Estates and managed by the Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust with Trust rangers playing an integral role working with firefighters from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service during a fire.
The Trust and the Fire Service have collaborated to host a public event to raise awareness about fire safety on the Heaths which cover over 1,000 hectares on Woodbury Common and its adjacent commons. Experts will be on hand to inform members of the public about the important role they can play in the collaborative effort to prevent wild fires and advise on what action should be taken if they see one happening.
There are four key points the Trust wants to highlight:
- The greatest fire risk to the Heaths occurs after prolonged dry periods; particularly in the spring before the vegetation has started growing
- Vigilance is urged in order to prevent the risk of fires starting: ensure cigarettes are disposed of responsibly, do not light camp fires or barbecues and take broken glass home
- Report a fire immediately by dialling 999
- Swailing is the controlled burning of heathland and should not be confused with wildfires; swailing is used in the ongoing management of the Heaths and is conducted by experienced staff following strict guidelines
On April 23, 2017, the fire rescue service sent 20 fire appliances to the blaze at Colaton Raleigh Common during which two firefighters suffered minor smoke inhalation injuries. In 2011 another early spring fire destroyed approximately 1.5-hectares of the heathland, with the quick response from the Commons warden and a troop of Royal Marines preventing it from spreading.
And in April 2010, the biggest gorse fire since 1996 damaged 75-hectares of heathland on Woodbury Common, between Woodbury Castle and Stowford Woods. During the response effort a tractor that was being used to cut a fire break caught on fire and was destroyed. Police officers, Royal Marines and RSPB representatives also supported Estates’ workers and firefighters in tackling the blaze.
Kim Strawbridge, Pebblebed Heaths site manager, said: “The Heaths are home to a diverse mix of scarce and specialised species. Our team work hard to maintain the habitat and landscape in the best possible condition to support these special species.
“Uncontrolled fire poses a real risk to wildlife and can undo decades of work by levelling the heath vegetation. If this occurs over a large area we lose the all-important diversity of structure in the habitats that allows our key species to thrive.
“Spring fires are particularly devastating because the eggs and chicks of nesting birds may be destroyed. Reptiles are also vulnerable because of their inability to escape, the lack of cover following a fire also makes them an easy target for predators while the area recovers.
“The Pebblebed Heaths are also an important UK stronghold for the dartford warbler. This iconic little warbler is on the RSPB’s Amber List and have been doing well on the Pebblebeds, but extensive fires at the site have the potential to have a severe impact on this species.
“We hope to see as many people as possible at the event, and are really pleased to be working with the fire service to raise awareness of this issue. We hope that people will take the opportunity to come and see us and find out how they can help us care for this much loved area.”
Commander Nigel Alford, who is part of the fire service’s investigation management team, described last year’s fire as the most difficult countryside fire he’s ever experienced in his 28-year career. “Last year’s fire was particularly difficult because of strong winds and then a 20-degree change in direction in the midst of it, meaning we had to abruptly relocate all our resources,” he explained.
“This April marks the anniversary of what was an extremely difficult fire and we want to raise awareness of the importance of being vigilant while enjoying the Heaths.”