Satellite data reveals six times more land was burnt across the UK in the last decade than the previous one – and Defra’s own policies are largely to blame, says Ian Botham in the Telegraph. By restricting preventative winter burns and reducing upland grazing, the Department has created vast expanses of combustible vegetation, ignoring warnings from fire chiefs, wildfire scientists and its own officials. Read more:

How bad is the situation? Satellite analysis shows that six times more land was burnt in the UK over the last decade than in the previous one (151,954 hectares in 2016-2025 against 24,805 in 2006-2015). Do not be fooled by those who say this catastrophe is simply down to climate change. Sure, hot days drive moisture out of plants. But globally wildfires are down by a quarter because humanity has become better at creating firebreaks.

Defra hasn’t. Its response to climate change has been to sharply increase vegetation. Over the last 20 years its cuts in upland cattle and sheep grazing led to a 25% increase in highly flammable grass.

Another genius move has been stopping preventative burns of heather. Why do I care about this? Because during damp winter months these burns safely prune the dead material which is then replaced by younger plants. It is the dead heather which is combustible. And thanks to Defra we now have 74% more of it.

Read more: Defra, Not Climate Change, is Turning England Into a Tinderbox