After a lack of rain for several weeks, a wildfire started at Peel Park and the Coppice LNR on Wednesday 14th June. The fire spread NNW nearly 300m along the heathland at the top. The emergency service response was fast, and the firefighters quickly contained the fire and prevented its further spread. It took a couple days to fully extinguish, and fortunately we got rain the following weekend.
From aerial and landscape photos, the damage looks quite severe, but in actuality the damage was very superficial and has only affected less than a 1/5th of the heathland on the site. With close monitoring, the heath in this area should bounce back over the next few years. PROSPECTS will be watching and managing the area to prevent coloniser species, like Rosebay Willowherb and Bracken, from taking over and quashing the return of Heather and Bilberry.
If you spot a fire on Peel Park and the Coppice, then call 999 immediately, for official information on wildfire safety advice, you can visit the Lancashire Fire Rescue Website.
We will update on any information on the area as we learn it.
