North Yorkshire visitors urged not to spark wildfires

By the Beehive Web editorial team

Visitors, drivers and campers in and around the North York Moors National Park are being urged to take simple fire-safety steps after the Langdale Forest and Fylingdales Moor wildfire became the biggest wildfire in the park’s history.

The fire was declared a major incident on 12 August 2025. North Yorkshire Council says the risk is not limited to obvious hazards: a cigarette end, a match, reflective litter or a barbecue can be enough to start a blaze when dry vegetation is exposed.

The North York Moors National Park has launched the Don’t Spark Disaster campaign to prevent another major wildfire in the county. The advice applies to people walking, driving, camping, picnicking or travelling through moorland roads and forest areas.

Small fire risks visitors can remove immediately

The safest action is to avoid bringing any ignition source onto dry moorland or forest edges. Even items that look harmless can become dangerous in hot, dry or windy conditions.

Key behaviours to avoid include:

• Dropping cigarette ends or matches anywhere outdoors, including from car windows.
• Leaving glass bottles or reflective litter where sunlight can be magnified onto dry vegetation.
• Using disposable barbecues, gas barbecues or campfires in places where sparks, embers or heat can spread.
• Assuming a small flame is manageable on open moorland, where wind and dry ground can move fire quickly.

Drivers have a role as well as walkers. A discarded cigarette from a vehicle on a rural road can land in grass, heather or roadside vegetation and create the first spark before anyone nearby notices smoke.

What the Fylingdales Moor fire changed locally

The Langdale Forest and Fylingdales Moor wildfire showed how quickly a visitor-safety issue can become a community-wide emergency. Fires across the national park can take days to extinguish, drawing in crews, equipment and support while large areas remain unsafe.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service already receives a high number of wildfire-related call-outs across the national park each year. Some incidents are contained quickly, but others create long-running pressure on emergency teams and land managers.

The cost is not only financial. Wildfire can damage wildlife habitats, archaeology, farming land and public access routes. Recovery work can continue long after flames are out, especially where peat, heather or forest ground has been affected.

For residents and businesses near the North York Moors, that means disruption can reach beyond the burn area. Smoke, road closures, access restrictions and pressure on emergency services can affect villages, farms and visitors across a wider part of North Yorkshire.

Why tiny objects can start large moorland fires

Open landscapes are especially vulnerable when vegetation is dry. A cigarette end, match or ember can smoulder before becoming visible. Glass and reflective litter can also concentrate sunlight onto dry grass or heather, creating heat at a single point.

Barbecues and campfires carry several risks at once. Flames can throw sparks, disposable trays can scorch the ground beneath them, and ash may remain hot after the fire appears to be out. On moorland, that heat can reach dry material below the surface.

The Don’t Spark Disaster campaign is built around that practical reality: prevention often depends on everyday choices made before a fire starts. Removing litter, avoiding open flames and taking smoking waste home are small actions, but they reduce risk at the point where the public has the most control.

What to do before visiting the North York Moors

Anyone planning time in the North York Moors National Park should check local fire guidance before travelling, especially during dry spells, school holidays and busy weekends.

Visitors should pack food that does not require outdoor cooking, carry litter home and avoid lighting fires in open landscapes. Smokers should fully extinguish cigarette ends and dispose of them safely, never on the ground or from a vehicle.

People who spot smoke or fire should treat it as urgent, move away from danger and contact emergency services. Exact location details, nearby roads, landmarks or walking routes can help crews reach the scene faster.

The council’s source notice points readers toward more information on the Fylingdales Moor fire recovery and ongoing work by local agencies.

Source: North Yorkshire Council

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This article was prepared from North Yorkshire Council's notice about wildfire prevention and the North York Moors campaign.

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• Checked the date given for the major incident: 12 August 2025.
• Matched the affected area to Langdale Forest, Fylingdales Moor and the North York Moors Na...
• Kept the safety advice to behaviours named in the source notice: cigarettes, matches, glas...
• Identified North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Don't Spark Disaster campaign a...

North Yorkshire Council Check wider coverage

Source

North Yorkshire Council

Scope

North York Moors, North Yorkshire

Updated

2026-06-09 20:00

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Article contextPeople & topics#7

#Don't Spark Disaster campaign#Fylingdales Moor#Langdale Forest#moorland fire prevention#North York Moors National Park#North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service#North Yorkshire wildfire safety

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