Nature reserve hit by 10 fires in a few weeks

A nature reserve had suffered 10 fires in recent weeks, causing damage to precious habitats and leaving volunteers distressed.

Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust (SRWT) said it believed the fires at Carbrook Ravine and Richmond Heights in Sheffield had been started deliberately.

Wildflower meadows have been damaged and nearby homes were put at risk by approaching flames.

The charity's nature recovery manager Marta Alfaro-Tirado said: "After seeing the woods where I spent my childhood in Spain recently reduced to nothing, it is very upsetting to be dealing with this here today."

SRWT said: "One fire caused extensive damage across a section of meadowland which is usually teeming with insects and other wildlife. Flames were prevented from consuming the whole meadow only when they reached a footpath, which acted as an unexpected firebreak."

It added that staff and volunteers spend countless hours every year working to restore Carbrook Ravine and that the fires had "hit the local conservation team hard, while also causing severe alarm for local residents who watched flames burn near the boundaries of their back gardens".

Wildflower meadows are precious habitats currently in steep decline across the UK. According to various conservation organisations, the UK has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows over the last century. Just over half the UK's native plants have been in decline since records began in the 1950s.

Alfaro-Tirado added: "Seeing years of hard work burn away in minutes is devastating. We ask everyone visiting our green spaces to leave barbecues at home, dispose of cigarettes safely, and call emergency services immediately if they spot smoke."

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