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Moorland Fire at Widdop

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 afx22 16 May 2022

I just saw on the BBC News website that there has been a fire on the moor at Widdop.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-61462869
 

Does anyone know if there has been any damage to the boulders (or the crag)?

5
 nikoid 16 May 2022
In reply to afx22:

Or the flora, fauna, habitats, etc?

6
 mrphilipoldham 16 May 2022
In reply to nikoid:

The fire engines went up past ours yesterday afternoon, smoke was blowing away from us though so didn’t know where they were going initially. As much as the local moorland interests group would like you to believe the tops aren’t actually that well inhabited.. far more waders concentrated immediately around the reservoirs and lower rough grazed farmland. That’s not to say there isn’t likely to be some casualties, of course. It does make me question the creating firebreaks excuse for controlled burns if a fire can still get out of hand and spread that quickly! 
In response to the OP I don’t think it was near the crag so unlikely to be any problems. 

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 Graham Booth 16 May 2022
In reply to mrphilipoldham:

Luckily its hammering down today

OP afx22 16 May 2022
In reply to nikoid:

> Or the flora, fauna, habitats, etc?

Fair point.  I was thinking that I’ve seen rock with seemingly permanent fire damage but that flora and fauna seem to recover more quickly.  But hands up - I had my blinkers on and didn’t put that well!

 DaveHK 16 May 2022
In reply to afx22:

> Fair point.  I was thinking that I’ve seen rock with seemingly permanent fire damage but that flora and fauna seem to recover more quickly.  But hands up - I had my blinkers on and didn’t put that well!

It seems like a perfectly reasonable thing for a climber to ask.

 mrphilipoldham 16 May 2022
In reply to Graham Booth:

Yes and did so overnight too, very moist out this morning! 

 Graham Booth 16 May 2022
In reply to mrphilipoldham:

hopefully nipped it in the bud

 mrphilipoldham 16 May 2022
In reply to afx22:

Update from Calderdale Moorland Group including a photo of a roasted grouse and chick, and a correction to my assumption it was burned during management. Apparently it's cut there due to peat depth but the photos all show it in the uncut rough vegetation. A good contrast visible on satellite imagery! 

**The Aftermath

Following on from our post last night, we can inform you all the fire was brought under control around 1am this morning, we were pleased to see the heavy rain which helped dampen down the hotspots.

We believe the fire has damaged around 60-70 acres which is devastating at this time of the year with not only game birds nesting but also red listed waders and songs birds.

This area is deep peat which gamekeepers under regulations can not conduct control burning, this area has had fire breaks put in with a tractor and cutter before the nesting season. Which helped to slow the fire down, giving the gamekeepers chance to control it. However, if the area could have been burnt using cool burning the fire would have been smaller again, due the less fuel load.

As you can see from the pictures below the hen grouse and her chicks do not stand a chance in wild fires

Well done to the gamekeepers for their rapid response and the support given from West Yorkshire fire and rescue and local farmers

 Bulls Crack 17 May 2022
In reply to afx22:

Don't know what/who  caused it yet but these events are invariably used by grouse moorland managers to promote cool burns and/or more tracks - conveniently ignoring the fact that the reason they weren't allowed to burn there in the first place was because intensive moorland management reduced the conservation value. Al a bit hostage to fortune. 

The fire was beyond the crag/boulders and will have undoubtedly  killed protected species as well as grouse. Some areas of the Walshaw estate over the road do have valuable populations. of Golden Plover etc. 

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