Campaign aims to stop 'preventable' moorland fires

"Most wildfires are preventable", the chair of the North York Moors National Park Authority (NYMNP) said as a major campaign aimed at reducing the risk of such fires was launched.

The Don't Spark Disaster campaign is being delivered by the county's two national parks, working with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and North Yorkshire Council, which provided the funding.

Jim Bailey said that such fires can be prevented was the "simple but crucial message at the heart" of this campaign.

It comes almost a year after a devastating fire on the North York Moors burned for more than 40 days.

The large fire on Langdale and Fylingdales moors in August 2025 was likely to have been caused by cooking with a naked flame, according to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

A recent report also confirmed a second fire 1.8 miles (3km) away from the first was caused by a smoker who dropped a cigarette after stopping to watch the first fire.

Officials say Don't Spark Disaster will run through the summer and highlight simple measures that can help prevent wildfires.

These include discarding cigarettes, leaving glass bottles behind and lighting barbecues and campfires.

The recent heatwave has also seen people urged to take extra care in the countryside because of the "extreme risk" of wildfires.

The campaign will be supported by Visit North Yorkshire, the body set up by North Yorkshire Council, after the collapse of Welcome to Yorkshire, to support and grow the county's multi-billion-pound tourism trade.

Conservative council leader Carl Les said: "Our message is clear – please come and enjoy all that North Yorkshire has to offer but be aware that careless actions can cause a catastrophic impact on our communities and the natural environment."

Bailey said upland communities still see the effects of last year's fired "on a daily basis."

These include farmers and graziers being unable to return sheep to parts of Fylingdales Moor, and "visible scars" left by the fire itself and the firebreaks built to stop it.

He said everyone should "think carefully about their actions" when enjoying the countryside.

"A moment's carelessness can have consequences that last for generations, but a few simple precautions can help prevent another devastating wildfire from happening in the first place."

Lizzie Bushby, from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said they were proud to support the campaign after witnessing the "devastation" caused on the North York Moors in 2025.

"Moorland habitat is becoming more vulnerable as our climate changes. Once it burns, we lose essential habitats, wildlife and peatland that has taken hundreds of years to form."

York and North Yorkshire's elected Labour mayor David Skaith, and his deputy, Jo Coles, who oversees the fire service, have both warned that wildfires can no longer be seen as "rare or exceptional."

They have called on supermarkets across the region to stop selling disposable barbecues and are calling for national legislation to ban them.

"The response from firefighters, farmers, landowners, volunteers and local communities was outstanding, but we cannot rely on goodwill alone. As the risk of wildfires grows, so too must our preparedness," Coles said.

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