Hazeley Heath in danger: Visitors urged to ditch barbecues

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has launched a campaign in partnership with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS), aimed at safeguarding nature reserves and the wider countryside from wildfires.

Wildfires are becoming more common in the UK due to climate change. While hot weather heightens the risk, human activity is the primary culprit in sparking these blazes.

Hazeley Heath, a nature reserve near Hook, is a particularly in danger.

READ MORE: Heath 'cannot cope' with number of people using it, fire service says after blaze wipes out nesting birds

RSPB warden Mark Crisp (second from left) with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue personnel at Hazeley Heath (Image: Newsquest)

This heathland's ecosystem provides a vital habitat for a unique mix of wildlife, including ground-nesting birds like nightjars, tree pipits, Dartford warblers, woodlarks, and the silver-studded blue butterfly. These species are especially vulnerable to fire.

RSPB staff and volunteers are doing their best to avoid any wildfires, but they are also urging people to be responsible when they visit the area.

Hazeley Heath is highly vulnerable to wildfires (Image: Newsquest)

"Unfortunately, most wildfires are started accidentally by people," says Mark Crisp, the RSPB warden at Hazeley Heath.

“It’s getting to that time of the year again and we are trying to raise awareness that rather than bringing a disposable barbecues or setting up a campfire, please bring a picnic instead.

“This is one of the worst places to bring barbecues because the gorse and heather are so dry. Instead of half-cooking your sausages and getting food poisoning, we are urging people to bring packed lunches and enjoy the outdoors.

“We want people to come and enjoy the outdoors, but we want them to do that responsibly. And if you are bringing the picnic, please put the litter in the nearest bin or take it back home with you, as fires can be sparked from unlikely items during the warm, dry weather.”

RSPB warden Mark Crisp (Image: Newsquest)

Smokers are also urged to be extra cautious and extinguish cigarettes responsibly.

Mr Crisp, along with one other RSPB staff member, manages Hazeley Heath with the invaluable support of hundreds of volunteers. A wildfire, he warns, could devastate the habitat and years of conservation efforts.

"The gorse and heather would regrow, but it would lose its crucial diversity," he explains. "Full recovery could take 15 to 30 years. The damage wouldn't be limited to the habitat; wildfires pose a significant financial burden and can endanger lives."

Andy Weeks, group manager at HIWFRS, said wildfires are quite challenging for the firefighters as they have to reach areas that are difficult to access with fire engines.

HIOWFRS group manager Andy Weeks (Image: Newsquest)

SEE ALSO: Man cleans maggot-infested bins neglected by council

“Because of Hazeley Heath’s terrain, it is quite wet and difficult to access certain areas of it,” he said.

“We have been to Hazeley Heath a number of times over the past couple of years when there have been fire started. They are very devastating. The fire would take out the habitat that are relying on this area. They burn so quickly to such intensity. It has a huge impact on the ecosystem.”

In 2020, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service was alerted to a wildfire that occurred on RSPB Hazeley Heath which had been started by a campfire.

This destroyed a large chunk of the site in an area that had been known for its abundance of wildlife. This was a massive blow for the reserve with species such as nightjar and Dartford warbler displaced including nests and young destroyed, while any reptiles such as adders and slow worms present would have been caught in the blaze too.