After the fire: One of Britain’s biggest moorland infernos raged for three days but what was left when the flames died?

As it raged across 30 square miles of moorland, the blaze was one of the worst wildfires Britain has ever endured.

The flames engulfing the Moray moors raged for three days as more than 300 Scottish Fire and Rescue staff and half as many volunteers fought for control.

Bruce Farquharson, the service’s wildfire capability lead officer, said the cold winter, combined with easterly winds and then a warm spring, created “an ideal storm” for wildfires.

And, experts fear, the impact of climate change could mean worse to come.

He said: “Eighty square kilometres was burnt in Moray in three days.

“That compares to last year when over the whole of the UK the entire area burnt by a wildfire was 90sq km.”

Here, ten weeks after the devastating blaze, we return to hear from those surveying the cost, from the deer manager who fought from dawn to dusk to save 350,000 rare Caledonian pines, to the gamekeeper who is finding new hope in the green shoots of regeneration.

THE DEVASTATION

Deer manager Bill Muircroft saw 24 years of his life’s work go up in smoke when wild fire swept through 3,000 acres of the 12,000 acre Altyre Estate.

It will take another 20 years to recover – and, he admits, Bill may not be around to see it.

The 67-year-old dad-of-two – who has worked the estate for a quarter-of-a-century – relived the moment the blaze, which started on April 22nd at Paul’s Hill Windfarm on the neighbouring Ballindalloch Estate, swept through the land he nurtured.

He told the Sunday Post: “Our moor is next to the one managed by the wind farm. Part of it included 1,000 acres of a native pinewood scheme, planted to try to recreate part of the ancient Caledonian Pine Forest and to build wildlife habitats. The fire destroyed all of it.

“That is a major loss to the estate – around 350,000 trees. They were just at a nice stage, both aesthetically and ecologically and created a fantastic habitat for some rare raptors like Merlin and Hen Harrier, and also for Black Grouse.

“It has been a lifetime’s work. I have nurtured, cared for and protected that pinewood for the last 24 years. It was devastated in 24 hours. There are not a lot of these native pinewood schemes in Scotland. It was special.”

Although the losses are being assessed Mr Muircroft said: “Nesting habitat would have been destroyed. There have been nesting Harriers there for the last 15 years. There were a couple of pairs in the area before the fire and there might have been two nests this year. We have at least one every year.

“I would say this is one of the healthiest areas for Harriers, a Schedule One bird, which means they are totally protected and share same status as an Eagle and a Peregrine falcon. Now we don’t have any breeding on us at all. We usually have a Merlin nest with us every year and we have lost that too. “For the habitat to get back to that stage you are talking 15 to 20 years. Harriers will only nest in rank heather – that means heather that is on the long side, about 18 to 20 inches – and heather grows very slowly.

“As soon as we knew the fire was heading this way we started getting ready to fight it. All the neighbouring estates were fighting their bit at the time. It was a coordinated effort. There were keepers coming here from 30 miles away to help. At one point, there were 70 firefighters, 30 gamekeepers and at least another 50 on standby.

“We fought it from dawn to dusk but the heat was too intense for us to get near the pinewood scheme. I saw a good part of it burning and I thought I had wasted 24 years of my life protecting it.

“I couldn’t put a monetary cost on what has been lost. It has been a big loss to the local community too. A lot of people walk and cycle that hill and everybody is devastated by the damage that has been done.

“I can’t say yet if we are going to replant. If we did I probably it would take 20 years to grow and I wouldn’t be here to see it.”

THE START

Stuart Naylor, UK Operations Manager for Paul’s Hill Wind Farm, where the fire started, said it had leased the site from Ballindalloch Estate since 2006. Part of Fred Olsen Renewables, it was responsible for the management and monitoring of a chunk of neighbouring moorland, He estimated half of the area lost in the fire. It is home to red and black grouse, skylarks, meadow pipits and mountain hares, along with plant species like heather and hare’s tail cotton grass and deer grass.

Mr Naylor – who said the wind turbines were not damaged – revealed: “Fifty per cent of the moorland was affected and all moorland species including hare, grouse, pine marten, and the eggs of the ground nesting birds would undoubtedly have perished.

“Regeneration is starting to take place but the species that were in there will take much longer to come back. There are only a handful of Hen Harriers in the north east of Scotland and they actively hunt on the moorland near the wind farm. They were seen the following week on adjacent land but whether the nest is lost still has to be investigated.

“Paul’s Hill Wind Farm Ltd has put massive amounts of time, dedication and finance into this piece of land, with more than £600,000 alone invested in its ecology. Ecologists have been carrying out studies on this piece of land for 20 years.

“I went to see it after the fire and was profoundly saddened. You ask yourself how or why this has happened. The wind farm is extremely grateful to gamekeepers and fire service for their efforts to put out the fire.”

THE RECOVERY

Willie Smith has been Head Gamekeeper at Knockando Estate for the last 10 years. He admits the fire was devastating, but said there is hope for the future.

He told the Sunday Post: “The fire happened several weeks ago and already lots of green grasses are coming through.

“Knockando is a 16,000 acre estate and was luckier than most. We only lost about 2,000 acres. We did not lose any trees.

“We managed to hold the fire in until it got past us.” He explained the heather was kept low with controlled professional burning – or muir burn, recognised as an effective control by the fire service when carried out according to strict guidelines. He said: “That made the wild fire easier to fight.” But he other areas where muirburn was not practiced fared worse.

And he claimed: “It’s estimated that the fire burned 17-20,000 acres of heather moorland. It’s gone. It is one big huge area of moor with no heather. It will regenerate but it will take a lot of years to come back.

“We have adders, lizards, and leverets. They would have suffered in the fire. We would have lost all the eggs. Meadow Pipits, Hen Harriers and Merlins would have been sitting on eggs, but most of the birds would have got away and they could nest again.

“It’s difficult to put a price on how much money was lost on that hill. It’s not about money, what’s more important is the loss of wildlife habitats.”

ENDS

As it raged across 30 square miles of moorland, the blaze was one of the worst wildfires Britain has ever endured.

The flames engulfing the Moray moors raged for three days as more than 300 Scottish Fire and Rescue staff and half as many volunteers fought for control.

Bruce Ferguson, the service’s wildfire capability lead officer, said the cold winter, combined with easterly winds and then a warm spring, created “an ideal storm” for wildfires.

And, experts fear, the impact of climate change could mean worse to come.

On Friday, firefighters warned people to take more care in the countryside after summer grass and woodland fires quadrupled in Scotland last year.

There were 2,480 vegetation blazes reported between June and August last year – up from 623 in the same period in 2017. The fire service said it was “crucial that people act safely and responsibly”.

Here, 10 weeks after the devastating blaze in Moray, we return to hear from those surveying the cost, from the deer manager who fought from dawn to dusk to save 350,000 rare Caledonian pines, to the gamekeeper who is finding new hope in the green shoots of regeneration.

Deer manager Bill Muircroft saw 24 years of his life’s work go up in smoke when a wild fire swept through 3,000 acres of the 12,000 acre Altyre Estate.

It will take another 20 years to recover – and Bill admits he may not be around to see it.

The 67-year-old dad of two – who has worked the estate for a quarter-of-a-century – relived the moment the blaze, which started on April 22 at Paul’s Hill wind farm on the neighbouring Ballindalloch Estate, swept through the land he nurtured.

He told The Sunday Post: “Our moor is next to the one managed by the wind farm. Part of it included 1,000 acres of a native pinewood scheme, planted to try to recreate part of the ancient Caledonian Pine Forest and to build wildlife habitats. The fire destroyed all of it.

“That is a major loss to the estate – around 350,000 trees. They were just at a nice stage, both aesthetically and ecologically and created a fantastic habitat for some rare raptors like merlin and hen harrier, and also for black grouse.

“It has been a lifetime’s work. I have nurtured, cared for and protected that pinewood for the last 24 years. It was devastated in 24 hours. There are not a lot of these native pinewood schemes in Scotland. It was special.”

Although the losses are being assessed, Mr Muircroft said: “Nesting habitat would have been destroyed. There have been nesting harriers there for the last 15 years. There were a couple of pairs in the area before the fire and there might have been two nests this year. We have at least one every year.

“I would say this is one of the healthiest areas for harriers, a schedule one bird, which means they are totally protected and share same status as an eagle and a peregrine falcon. Now we don’t have any breeding on us at all.

“We usually have a merlin nest with us every year and we have lost that too. For the habitat to get back to that stage you are talking 15 to 20 years. Harriers will only nest in rank heather – that means heather that is on the long side, about 18 to 20 inches – and heather grows very slowly.

“As soon as we knew the fire was heading this way we started getting ready to fight it. All the neighbouring estates were fighting their bit at the time. It was a coordinated effort. There were keepers coming here from 30 miles away to help. At one point, there were 70 firefighters, 30 gamekeepers and at least another 50 on standby.

“We fought it from dawn to dusk but the heat was too intense for us to get near the pinewood scheme. I saw a good part of it burning and I thought I had wasted 24 years of my life protecting it.

“I couldn’t put a monetary cost on what has been lost. It has been a big loss to the local community too. A lot of people walk and cycle that hill and everybody is devastated by the damage that has been done.

“I can’t say yet if we are going to replant. If we did I probably it would take 20 years to grow and I wouldn’t be here to see it.”

Stuart Naylor, UK operations manager for Paul’s Hill wind farm, near where the fire started, said his firm had leased the site from Ballindalloch Estate since 2006.

Part of Fred Olsen Renewables, it was responsible for management and monitoring of a chunk of neighbouring moorland. He estimated half of the area was lost in the fire.

It is home to red and black grouse, skylarks, meadow pipits and mountain hares, along with plant species like heather and hare’s tail cotton grass and deer grass.

Mr Naylor – who said the wind turbines were not damaged – revealed: “50% of the moorland was affected and all moorland species including hare, grouse, pine marten, and the eggs of the ground nesting birds would undoubtedly have perished. Regeneration is starting to take place but the species that were in there will take much longer to come back.

“There are only a handful of hen harriers in the north east of Scotland and they actively hunt on the moorland near the wind farm. They were seen the following week on adjacent land but whether the nest is lost still has to be investigated.

“Paul’s Hill Wind Farm Ltd has put massive amounts of time, dedication and finance into this piece of land, with more than £600,000 alone invested in its ecology.

“Ecologists have been carrying out studies on this piece of land for 20 years. I went to see it after the fire and was profoundly saddened. You ask yourself how this has happened. The wind farm is grateful to gamekeepers and fire service for their efforts to put out the fire.”

Willie Smith has been head gamekeeper at Knockando Estate for the last 10 years. He admits the fire was devastating, but said there is hope for the future.

He told The Sunday Post: “The fire happened several weeks ago and already lots of green grasses are coming through.

“Knockando is a 16,000-acre estate and was luckier than most. We only lost about 2,000 acres. We did not lose any trees.

“We managed to hold the fire in until it got past us.” He explained the heather was kept low with controlled professional burning – or muir burn, recognised as an effective control by the fire service when carried out according to strict guidelines. He said: “That made the wild fire easier to fight.” But he other areas where muirburn was not practiced fared worse.

And he claimed: “It’s estimated that the fire burned 17-20,000 acres of heather moorland. It’s gone. It is one big huge area of moor with no heather. It will regenerate but it will take a lot of years to come back.

“We have adders, lizards, and leverets. They would have suffered in the fire. We would have lost all the eggs. Meadow pipits, hen harriers and merlins would have been sitting on eggs, but most of the birds would have got away and they could nest again.

“It’s difficult to put a price on how much money was lost on that hill. It’s not about money, what’s more important is the loss of wildlife habitats.”