Appeal to help Marsden Moor following devastating fires reaches over £100,000

The most significant fire, which started on April 21, destroyed 700 hectares of land and burnt for four days.

Large areas of peat soils were also destroyed across the Moor, which is home to mountain hares and rare ground nesting birds such as curlew and twite.

The fire also destroyed large areas of of the Moor which experts say will take years and thousands of pounds to restore.

Along with partners including The Future Partnership, National Trust rangers have been working hard to plant sphagnum mosses which will help bring the peat back. This will mean the moors are wetter, reducing the risk of fires in the future.

Other preventative work that’s been carried out by the rangers involves using a special machine to cut vegetation breaks alongside roads. These mowed strips mean there’s less flammable grass which can help prevent the fire spreading. They’ve also had to repair fencing and signs which were burnt in the fire.

The money raised by the fund will be used to help the rangers continue this work, reducing the risk of fires and prevent flooding in the future too. The work goes hand in hand with a huge moorland restoration project across West Yorkshire.

"The money will be used to help restore the landscape and the special peat habitats we have at Marsden.

"We’ll also use it to work with the local community to reduce the risk of these kind of fires starting again. It's hugely important that people are aware of the risk of fires on the landscape. Because of climate change, these upland areas are hugely susceptible to wildfire. Using BBQs or lighting fires can result in a huge amount of damage.’

Ranger Jack Simmons said: "One of the great things that has come out of the fire is the massive positive response from the local community, to know that we are supported with the work that we do up the hill. So a big thank you from me."