MP urges financial help for moorland fire affected

An MP has added his voice to calls for the government to extend its support for those affected by wildfires in North Yorkshire.

Conservative Party chairman and Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake has launched a petition and campaign calling on the government "for a dedicated Wildfire Recovery Fund".

His comments came after Alison Hume, Labour MP for neighbouring Scarborough and Whitby, called on government to make grants available following fires such as 2025's Langdale Moor blaze.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has previously said it had offered financial assistance to landowners through farming schemes to mitigate wildfire risks on moorland and heathland.

In August, a major incident was declared when a fire broke out near RAF Fylingdales in the North York Moors National Park.

It was only on 23 September that North Yorkshire Fire Service confirmed it was no longer being treated as a major incident.

Part of the affected area had been used as a tank training ground during World War Two, and there were more than 18 explosions as the fire burned.

At its height, the fire covered 10 sq miles (26 sq km) of moorland.

Hollinrake told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that a Wildfire Recovery Fund would "ensure fair compensation for this and any future incidents".

​"Our countryside is only as strong as the people who protect it," he said.

​"Last year's Langdale Moor wildfire exposed a stark truth: rural communities often face disasters with little support.

"Local farmers, gamekeepers, landowners, and volunteers acted swiftly, protecting livestock, livelihoods, and homes, yet many are still left to bear the financial burden."

The MP said moorland management, including controlled burning, was vital "to prevent larger, more destructive fires – but recent government restrictions risk making wildfires worse".

Hume told the House of Commons in January that unlike in the case of flooding ​"there is no clear route to government grants for wildfire events".

"Does the Leader of the House agree that we need to look urgently at widening the farming recovery fund and flood recovery framework to cover wildfires?"

In a statement, a spokesperson for DEFRA previously told the BBC: "We are taking decisive action to ensure fire services and national bodies can manage and respond to emergencies.

"This includes funding a National Resilience Wildfire Advisor to support a more coordinated response to wildfires, alongside an increase of almost £70m in funding for stand-alone fire and rescue authorities."

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