Wildfire warning sign placed in Peak District

A wildfire warning sign is being trialled in part of the Peak District.

Located at Owler Bar, near Holmesfield in Derbyshire, it will be controlled by the Moors for Future Partnership (MFP), which will change the risk level depending on the weather.

The MFP said similar signs were used in warmer countries, including Australia.

Emma Shaw, communications programme manager, said: "The smallest spark from a campfire, barbecue or even a piece of litter could start a fire, so we are just looking at ways to help people adjust their own behaviours whilst visiting the Peak District."

The MFP said there had been more than 30 moorland fires in the Peak District so far this year, including one in Goyt Valley that destroyed trees and grassland in an area bigger than more than 300 football pitches.

Ms Shaw described the impact of the fires as "massive", adding they would "take years to recover from".

She told the BBC: "We have also done years of work on the moors which just went up in flames, so it's been a really emotional time.

"Seeing all the destruction is heartbreaking."

Ms Shaw said the MFP, which is led by the Peak District National Park Authority, would monitor the weather on the moors and adjust the sign accordingly.

"The temperatures are getting warmer and wildfires are becoming more significant, so we are just looking at ways other countries react when it's really warm," she said.

"We believe that visitors to the Peak District love this landscape as much as we do and would be greatly saddened to accidentally cause a fire."

Ms Shaw said the trial would be in place until the end of June.

"Depending on how many people see the sign could help us decide whether to put these signs all across the Peak District," she added.

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