8 May 2018
A "devastating" wild
fire has destroyed an estimated 40 to 50 bird nests and about 40 hectares of
moorland.
Five members of the Peak
District Moorland Group and 30 firefighters fought the blaze in
the Goyt Valley, Derbyshire, after it broke out at about 18:00 BST on Sunday.
Gamekeeper Richard Bailey said
fire crews at the scene thought it was started deliberately.
He said curlew, grouse, pipit,
short-eared owl, and duck nests had gone.
Canadian goose and mallard nests
were also destroyed in the fire and many grouse pairs, which are very
territorial birds, were seen at the edge of the fire, Mr Bailey said.
On the fire service's records,
the cause has not been recorded, however, Mr Bailey said the on-scene
firefighters' assessment was that it was deliberate.
Mr Bailey said he also scanned
the area where the fire started and there was no evidence of an accidental
cause.
"I would be 85% to 90% sure
that it was a deliberate attempt of arson," he said.
The gamekeeper, who went straight
to the scene after smelling the smoke from his house, said: "It is a
disaster."
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