Calderdale Gamekeepers Prevent Wildfire Disasters on Calderdale Moors

Gamekeepers have stepped in to prevent two potentially devastating wildfires on protected moorland near Heptonstall, after visitors ignored fire warnings and lit campfires on the open moor.

The incidents, which took place within days of one another, have raised fresh concerns about public disregard for fire risk on the moors as the warmer weather draws more people onto the hills.

In the first incident, gamekeepers spotted a group lighting campfires on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The fire service was alerted immediately, and the gamekeeping team moved in to extinguish the flames before they could take hold. A timely drop in the wind helped keep the fire contained. The three individuals responsible, who had walked past three separate warning signs to reach the spot, are now set to receive Public Spaces Protection Order notices.

In the second incident, fire crews were called to a blaze close to a stretch of Molinia-dominated moorland. Molinia, or purple moor-grass, is highly combustible and can carry fire rapidly across vast areas, making early intervention critical.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Calderdale gamekeeper said: "We have had two situations in a matter of days that could easily have resulted in serious fires, and both were preventable.

"The signs are there, put up by estates, the Regional Moorland Group, the fire service and the council, but people walk straight past them, lighting campfires on ground that could be destroyed in minutes.

"Without our team and the fire service responding so quickly, we would be looking at a very different picture."

Despite extensive signage from local estates, the Regional Moorland Group, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, and Calderdale Council, members of the public continue to ignore the warnings - placing wildlife, habitat and neighbouring communities at risk.

The two incidents underline the vital role gamekeepers play as the first line of defence against wildfire on the uplands. Their presence on the ground, local knowledge and rapid response capability are often the difference between a fire that is caught early and one that runs unchecked across thousands of acres of irreplaceable peatland.