Statement following the Fylingdales Moor Wildfire Fire Investigation report announcement.
Jo Coles, Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime said:
“The wildfire on the Fylingdales Moors last year was an exceptionally complex and challenging incident.
Once again I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone involved in the community response from the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service firefighters and volunteers, partner agencies, local businesses, farmers, landowners, and the wider community to the fire and rescue crews who travelled from across the country to support us.
It was an extraordinary combined effort, tackling one of the largest wild fires ever in the United Kingdom over 25km2 of moorland; ten times the size of the Great Fire of London.
Thank you also to the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service investigation team for their thorough and detailed report into the cause of the fire. This work provides vital insights and will be a vital tool in ensuring lessons are learned and that we improve work to prevent future incidents like this.
As a result of the changing climate, our beautiful moorlands are unfortunately increasingly vulnerable to wildfires and it’s vital we all do everything we can to learn lessons and focus on how to prevent future incidents like this.
I joined government officials from MHCLG at the fire site back in November to ensure they were fully aware of the scale of the devastation and the impact a response of this scale has on a predominantly rural fire service like ours. I will continue to work with others to ensure the economic and environmental impacts of wildfires are fully understood across Government including, the cost of delivering the response and the long-term financial impact and what science tells us should be done to reduce future risks, while still ensuring the public can enjoy our beautiful region.
The Mayor and I will continue to make those representations on behalf of everyone in our region.”
Statement from North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service
Today we’ve shared our investigation into the Langdale/ Fylingdales Moor wildfire.
Following extensive enquiries the cause of the fire is believed to be cooking using a naked flame, such as a campfire or gas burner.
The fire was declared a major incident on 13 August and at its peak on 25 August, it covered an area of up to 25km².
Firefighters worked for a prolonged period in extremely challenging conditions to bring the incident under control. They were supported throughout by the communities of York and North Yorkshire.
CFO Jonathan Dyson said: “The fact that this fire is believed to have been started by cooking using a naked flame, is a stark reminder of how quickly wildfires can take hold, particularly in hot, dry and windy conditions. I urge everyone who visits the countryside to follow safety advice to help prevent further wildfires and protect our landscapes, including respecting restrictions on camping and lighting barbecues/ campfires, taking litter home and carefully disposing of smoking materials.”
The photo shows the area where investigators believe the fire first started.