Gamekeepers working across North Yorkshire and the Pennines are playing a vital but often overlooked role in protecting upland landscapes from wildfires, according to a new academic report featured in a Fieldsports Channel podcast.

The research, led by retired academic Professor Simon Denny, examines the impact of active moorland management on wildfire prevention and environmental protection. It comes at a time of growing concern following a series of major fires in recent years on the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Dales and the Pennines, where prolonged dry spells have left vast areas of upland particularly vulnerable.

Professor Denny’s report highlights how day-to-day land management carried out by gamekeepers, including controlled burning, vegetation control and year-round monitoring, reduces the build-up of dry, flammable material on moorland. These measures, he argues, can significantly limit both the likelihood and severity of wildfires.

In the podcast interview, Professor Denny explains that when wildfires do take hold on unmanaged moorland, the damage can be long-lasting. Fires can burn deep into peat soils, releasing stored carbon, destroying wildlife habitat and leaving landscapes scarred for decades. By contrast, managed moors tend to experience smaller, more controllable fires, or avoid them altogether.

The report also draws attention to the wider benefits of managed uplands in regions such as North Yorkshire and the Pennines. These include maintaining a mosaic of habitats, supporting ground-nesting birds and other wildlife, protecting water catchments, and safeguarding landscapes that underpin farming, tourism and rural employment.

The findings are particularly relevant for communities living near moorland, where wildfires pose risks not just to wildlife but also to homes, infrastructure and public safety. Supporters of managed moorland say the report adds important scientific evidence to ongoing debates about land use, conservation and how best to protect uplands in a changing climate.

Fieldsports Channel says the podcast aims to make the research accessible to a wider audience, including local residents, land managers and policymakers across northern England who are directly affected by wildfire risk.