Home / Environment / Shropshire Beauty Spot Faces Tense Wildfire Threat
Shropshire Beauty Spot Faces Tense Wildfire Threat
20 Jul
Summary
- Long Mynd area manager calls landscape care 'incredibly tense' due to heat.
- Snow gates at Long Mynd entrances have been shut due to high wildfire risk.
- Three fire crews battled a blaze involving gorse and peat on Pole Bank.
The area manager for Shropshire's Long Mynd beauty spot described the current period as "incredibly tense" for landscape management amidst soaring temperatures. The National Trust has consequently closed the snow gates leading to the Long Mynd in Church Stretton, heightening wildfire risk awareness.
Access to the public remains, but the heightened danger prompted the closure of gates at the three main entrances to the seven-mile hill. This measure was approved by Shropshire's highways team.
On Sunday afternoon, three fire crews responded to a significant blaze on Pole Bank. The fire involved burning gorse and peat, highlighting the extreme dry conditions across the landscape. Much of the ground is brown, with only trees retaining their green colour.
The Long Mynd, a vast common and a site of special scientific interest spanning over 5,000 acres, is a critical habitat. It supports diverse flora and fauna, including heather, rare bumblebees, wild ponies, red grouse, whinchats, and pied flycatchers.
