Ministers have been warned that a 'religion' of rewilding is putting the country at risk of catastrophic LA-style bushfires.
The government was warned that heather would normally be burned in rural areas to limit the amount of fuel for potential bushfires.
But new limits have been imposed in recent years on how much can be burned, leading experts to fear Britain's bushfires could get worse.
In an open letter to the Home Secretary, Andrew Gilruth, the chief executive of the Moorland Association, said the fires will be too intense for firefighters to tackle.
Speaking to The Telegraph, he said ominously: 'Major bushfires are inevitable if vegetation is allowed to grow unchecked. Sooner or later there will be a spark. Add low humidity and high winds and the horrors of Los Angeles ensue.”
He warned Yvette Cooper that she will likely be held accountable as minister overseeing firefighting.
“Unless your government's restrictions on vegetation management are reversed, ministers will have to pray that the wind does not blow towards their constituencies and that no one dies in the path of the fire.”
About 31 wildfires have devastated California in recent weeks, exacerbated by drought, a buildup of vegetation and hurricane force winds.
Heather is being burned on the peatlands of the North Pennines
Peatlands are the largest natural carbon store in Britain, but also help maintain water quality and protect against flood risks by absorbing and filtering rain
Heather is burned in the peatlands of the North Pennines, in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in northern England. It is burned to maintain the ecosystem for grouse shooting, but this practice is very harmful to the peat
A perfect storm of overgrown vegetation, dry conditions and uncharacteristic winds were responsible for causing the most destructive wildfire Los Angeles has ever seen, razing more than 20 square miles in less than 48 hours.
Once the flames ignited, SoCal was buffeted by “devil winds,” formally known as Santa Ana winds – warm and gusty northeasterly winds that blow from the region's interior toward the coast, as opposed to the usual winds that blow from the Entering the Pacific Ocean and blowing cooler winds. more moist air inland.
Vast swaths of iconic real estate in California, from Malibu to Santa Monica, and from Pacific Palisades to Runyon Canyon, are burning – impacting millions of people caught off guard by the unprecedented spread and carnage.
Mr Gilruth said if a similar fire rages through Britain, unlike in LA, it will be due to the 'growing fuel load of vegetation'.
He added: 'We think Natural England's current policy of adding oil to the coming fires is absurd.'
Permits can be issued for the burning of heathland as a means of preventing wildfires, for a nature conservation purpose or where land is inaccessible to mowing or mowing machines. The ban does not apply to steep or particularly rocky land.
Sensitive peatlands are the country's largest natural source of carbon, covering around 12 percent of land in Britain.
Anna Faris' home in Pacific Palisades was completely destroyed during a wildfire that swept through the area
A man walks in front of the burning Altadena Community Church, Wednesday, January 8, 2025, in Pasadena, California
The Sunset Fire breaks out in the Hollywood Hills, prompting rapid responses from firefighters
They store an estimated 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon – equivalent to all the forests in Britain, Germany and France combined – which is released into the atmosphere when burned.
The heathland and vegetation also provide breeding and feeding areas for many wading birds and important habitats for rare insects and plants.
A spokesperson for Natural England said: 'We understand the concerns of heathland managers about both the risks of wildfire and the desire of many upland managers to rebuild peat health by re-wetting heathlands and reducing the use of burning as a management tool .
'While peat burning permits are regulated and issued by Defra, we continue to work constructively with land managers, on a site-by-site basis, to create long-term, sustainable solutions for heathland management to maximize their future resilience.'
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: 'England's peatlands are of huge international importance, and it is vital that we protect these areas for future generations. That's why this Government is investing £400 million to protect and restore nature, including our peatlands.
'Healthy peatlands offer multiple environmental benefits; they store carbon, optimize biodiversity, are more resilient to forest fires and can help reduce flooding and improve water quality.”
