Moorland Wild Fire Risk Index

Gamekeeping

Why is this needed?

During dry spells, moorlands become highly vulnerable to wildfires. In 2018, during the Saddleworth wildfire, the official fire risk level was only at ‘Amber’ — meaning public access remained unrestricted — even though fire crews warned of severe danger. As a result, people continued to visit the moors, some even having BBQs in high-risk areas.

This map will collect and display real-time assessments from gamekeepers and land managers who have first-hand knowledge of local conditions. This will provide an early warning system to support fire services and land managers in making informed decisions when planning for the worst case scenarios.

How does it work?

Gamekeepers working in the uplands will report weekly on a specific set of questions based on their own knowledge, experience, and perceptions of the ground that they manage.

This is not a scientific study but a picture of the state of the moors in real time, put together by the people who spend their working lives working to protect these fragile sites.

The keepers score each question based on the traffic light system where green is safe and no risk, and red is high risk. The system allows for an extreme danger situation to be logged.

The questions:

• Wind direction (e.g. an east wind increases fire risk)

• Wind speed (light, medium, strong, gales)

• Weather forecast, length of dry spell (3 days, 5 days, 7 days)

• Fire supportive conditions / high ignition risk, over the weekend (yes, maybe, no)

• Humidity
  
  
• Is there a public bank holiday with a high ignition risk?

The keepers answer the questions and their answers for each question are given a score: 1 being no risk, 2 medium, 3 high and 4 being extreme danger. The average of the scores is taken, which will then determine the overall risk for that area. This score will then be used to show the risk on the live map, giving a clear and immediate picture of fire risk.

This tool will help emergency services respond more effectively and could also support efforts to improve official risk assessments in the future.

How to Report a Fire Risk

If you are a gamekeeper or land manager and would like to contribute to the fire risk map, please email john.clarke@nationalgamekeepers.org.uk

This system provides a simple guide to help assess fire risk, which in turn can help Fire Rescue Services plan for when there is an elevated risk. The gamekeepers' input helps create a real-time picture of fire danger, supporting both land management and emergency services in protecting our moorlands.

If you have any questions or want to get involved, please don’t hesitate to contact us on +44 (0)1833 660 869.