Marsden Moor wildfire damaged 14,000 new trees
A recent wildfire that broke out on Marsden Moor destroyed nearly 14,000 new trees, a councillor has said.Fire crews were called to a large wildfire near March Haigh Reservoir, near Huddersfield, at about 17:00 BST on 10 April.The National Trust, which owns the land, and Colne Valley Tree Society, began clearing melted tree guards from the area on Saturday.Kirklees councillor Matthew McLoughlin, who is part of the tree planting group, said more than half of the 25,000 new trees planted on the moor had been damaged.
McLoughlin said: "The vast majority have been completely destroyed and the plastic has melted into where the roots were."It obviously means a lot fewer trees growing up and helping the air get cleaner and take carbon down."Because the fire did not penetrate the ground itself, some trees could still grow back from the roots - but it was not likely that many would regrow, he said.
The trees were planted as part of a preservation project, funded by White Rose Forest, to stop water running off the moors and to help prevent the erosion of the peatland.Peat is a natural resource formed over long periods, mainly in wetland, which stores carbon.McLoughlin said the next steps were to remove plastic from the area and to replant the trees if funding can be secured.The cause of the moorland fire is not yet known, according to investigators.McLoughlin believes the fire was started deliberately and urged the public to report any suspicious behaviour.
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