Ashdown Forest

Fires can have a devastating effect on the Forest. In 1984, on the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, over 250 hectares were burned in one accidental fire. Every year, in the spring, the Rangers and local Fire Brigades attend fires, which can vary in size from a small patch to many hectares.

There are only two causes of Forest fires: carelessness and arson. It is extremely unusual for a Forest fire to have a natural cause; in 20 years there has been one fire started by lightning strike.

In the post-War period, the Commoners would sometimes set fire to the Forest to burn off woody vegetation and provide “early bite” grazing for their stock. With the decline of grazier Commoners, this practice has stopped.

Probably the most frequent cause of accidental fires is inattention to picnic stoves or the illegal use of barbecues. Only on the very driest days will a discarded cigarette end cause a Forest fire.

Fires that occur in the late spring or summer can have a catastrophic effect on the local wildlife. Invertebrates living above ground will be killed and those surviving the fire underground will emerge to find their food supply destroyed. Snakes and lizards are particularly vulnerable to fire. Many invertebrates are very slow to spread and can take many years to re-colonise areas that have been burnt.

However, fire does still have a place in heathland management. Very carefully situated small fires in late winter can have the effect of destroying scrub and removing thick mats of vegetation, while not killing animals which are deep underground. The Rangers have a small programme of controlled burning. This has the additional benefit of providing training opportunities for both Rangers and the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.