Already West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has attended 75 serious wildfires this year and last Wednesday a large area of Marsden Moor was blazing for the second time within a week.

Prior to that three smaller blazes had started by disposable barbecues but were dealt with before they could spread. Natural England, the Government’s adviser for the natural environment, said landscapes, wildlife and air quality are all at risk by out of control wildfires and areas such as Marsden Moor, the Humber Peatlands and ancient bogs at Thorne and Hatfield in South Yorkshire are especially vulnerable.

Paul Duncan, Yorkshire Area Director for Natural England, said: “We want people to enjoy their time responsibly when out on our beautiful moors by taking steps to protect our precious wildlife.

A helicopter drops water onto flames after a resurgence of a moor fire on Marsden Moor, near Huddersfield in April last year. Fifty firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze with a mile-long flame front.

“By following the Countryside Code, we can all do our bit to protect nature and prevent fires. Do not light fires, avoid using barbecues on moorland and dispose of cigarettes and bottles carefully – glass can cause sun rays to reflect on dry grass and start a fire.

“By following these simple rules we can ensure that our moorlands, including the ancient bogs of Thorne and Hatfield Moors, are protected.”

Disposable barbecue ban sought by Yorkshire MPs after major moorland fires

He said: “As the days get longer and we all get to enjoy some long-awaited sunshine, we want to stress the seriousness and importance of the public spaces protection orders (PSPOs) in place in rural districts across the region which include a ban on any type of fire on moorland fire, barbecues or fireworks.

The aftermath of a wild fire at Hatfield a designated Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and home to number of protected birds and wildlife.

“When our crews are called to these incidents, there is not only a high financial cost, but they are taken away from protecting our communities in other areas.”

The Government is commissioning a review into the involvement of disposable barbecues in wildfires.

Farming Minister Victoria Prentis announced the review following a debate led by Halifax MP Holly Lynch, who argued a ban on the sale of disposable barbecues should be considered.

Ms Lynch said: “The suffering inflicted on wildlife as a consequence of such fires is one of the greatest tragedies of this particular problem. These fires also put a tremendous strain on our emergency services.

“I appreciate banning the sale of disposable barbecues sounds like a big step. However, I think I have been clear in outlining the scale of the problem and the devastation caused, which warrants consideration of ways we can manage the risk up to and including a ban on their sale."

Fires

Fire crews from across West Yorkshire have attended several moors fires over recent weeks.

On March 9, crews from 13 different stations across West Yorkshire attended an outdoor fire at Coal Gate, Slaithwaite along with specialist wildlife teams.

On March 18, fire crews were faced with a 400 yard flame front at a fire on Marsden Moor and needed crews from 10 appliances to deal with it.

On March 23 near Cupwith Reservoir at Scammonden, a fire burned into the following day and required six fire crews from West Yorkshire as well as six from Greater Manchester Fire Service and a drone.

Alert over wild-fire danger ahead of summer as Halifax MP Holly Lynch calls for ban on sale of disposable barbecues