MIURBURN AND WILDFIRE MITIGATION
Muirburn (or heather burning) is the controlled burning of heather, gorse and grasslands and The Heather Trust recognises the practice as a vital conservation and land management tool which can also play a part in mitigating large-scale wildfires.
Muirburn helps create a mosaic habitat and allows plants such as heather to regenerate and provide fresh growth for game species and livestock. Done well, this habitat should generate patches of heather of differing ages which provide red grouse with short fresh growth and longer areas in which to shelter. This variation in vegetation structure is also attractive to deer and livestock. Other wildlife such as birds (some red-listed), insects and reptiles benefit from appropriate, well-managed muirburn.
Muirburn should only be carried out within the season and by suitably trained individuals. Particular attention must be paid to new legislation which aims to prevent muirburn on deep peat thus protecting vital carbon stores and mitigating the risk of large-sale wildfires.
The practice of muirburn is guided by The Muirburn Code which sets out both the law and good practice relating to muirburn. All muirburn will be licensed in Scotland and most is now licensed in England. The specific guidance and codes for muirburn / heather burning are on both the NatureScot and Natural England websites.
Wildfire Mitigation
Wildfire management is a crucial issue in upland management, and carefully planned muirburn forms part of a system of defence against large-scale, devastating wildfires through the reduction of fuel load. More strategically, the management of wildfire requires specific skill sets which require constant review and development, working across a range of stakeholders from the Fire and Rescue Services to farmers, gamekeepers, crofters and the general public.
Climate change, changes in the behaviour of the public and land management priorities could increase fuel loads and combine to increase the risk of more intense wildfires.
Wildfire mitigation can be considered in three stages - Prevention, Response and Resilience. More information on wildfire mitigation can be found on the NatureScot website.
The Heather Trust advocates for all landholdings to include wildfire mitigation as part of their land management planning. Risk assessing the landholding, followed by the development of a wildfire management plan combined with a wildfire resilience landscape management programme are recommended.
Find out more about how we research, combat, and manage wildfires in our Reading Room
