This year's Spring saw a number of fires damaging important UK wildlife habitats.  In Northern Ireland, wildfires have often spread through gorse, which is widespread, often dry and flammable.  One such fire occurred at Slieve Beagh.  The area is mainly blanket bog, with small lakes and streams.  The fire here raged for three days and has destroyed a large area of blanket bog.  It was described as a ‘hot burn’, in that it advanced slowly and burned deep into the blanket bog. Hotter and drier Springs have contributed to greater amounts of dry material,  The bog is the habitat of the hen harrier - an endangered species, as well as being important site for migrating and over-wintering birds.

Moorland

There will now been a concerted effort to restore the area, which was designated a RAMSAR (wetland) SITE in 1999 and is an area of special scientific interest.  Whilst the burnt area is now green again, the new vegetation lacks the variety of original plant species.  Much is grass, which could contribute to another fire; it will take many years for species like sphagnum moss, bog myrtle and bilberry to return. Sphagnum moss creates a habitat that helps in formation of. Peat.  Peat forms in wetland conditions, when water accumulates and oxygen is limited slowing the rate of decomposition.  If the bog flora can be re-established, then insects will return and, in turn, the birds.  An absence of predators, coupled with suitable weather would see successful broods of chicks raised, and a functional ecosystem restored.

The RBCT (River Blackwater Catchment Trust) is working with various agencies to create a fire plan. Burns apart from destroying the habitat, release vast quantities of carbon dioxide from the stored carbon in the peat.  

The plan is to include 

• the introduction of grazing, which should help control the amount of accumulation of flammable vegetation, and 
• make use of technology such as drones to find and fight fires.   Drones might also spot people, who are frequently responsible for such fires.