Extreme heatwaves could turn Britain’s heathlands into tinderboxes

Extreme heatwaves could turn Britain’s heathlands into tinderboxes

Scientists have found that during severe heatwaves, conditions that normally protect moorlands and peatlands from devastating wildfires can suddenly collapse, leaving them vulnerable to extreme fire behaviour never before experienced in these regions. The discovery comes from researchers who measured fuel moisture – essentially how dry or wet vegetation and soil become – across the UK over three years, including during the record-breaking July 2…