Meet new Peak District Wildfire Engagement Officer, Damian
Find out more about Damian, the new Wildfire Engagement Officer for the Peak District's Sheffield Moors area, funded by the BMC Access & Conservation Trust.
A devastating 81.22 hectares (114 football pitches) of Peak District peatland and its associated wildlife been decimated by more than 12 wildfires in the Peak District’s Sheffield Moors area since 2018, releasing thousands of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere. To combat this, BMC Access & Conservation Trust has funded a Wildfire Engagement Officer for the Sheffield Moors area as part of The Climate Project and Mend Our Mountains campaigns.
Our new Wildfire Engagement Officer, Damian, comes from a 30+ year career in the emergency services and he was a Fire Warden in Staffordshire last summer. Starting just before the Easter holidays (Mon 23 March 2026) he will join the existing, highly skilled ranger team in addressing the escalating threat of wildfires caused by climate change, deliberate incidents and recreational fires, leading public engagement and site monitoring during the upcoming peak-risk season.
Damian will:
- Patrol high wildfire-risk areas at peak times for early reporting and response
- Engage the public in positive messaging about wildfire prevention in-person and on social media
- Coordinate more local volunteer patrol groups
This BMC Access & Conservation Trust-funded role is managed in collaboration with Moors for the Future Partnership (MFFP), the Eastern Moors Partnership (EMP) and the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA). The funding comes just in time to protect this popular hiking and climbing area, including Froggatt, Curbar, Burbage and Stanage Edges, during the wildfire season this spring and summer.
Let's hear more about Damian, read on.
Damian says, "I worked as a Fire Warden on the Roaches Nature Reserve with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust over the summer season of 2025 having previously had a career of 30+years in the emergency services. I applied for this position as I care deeply about the Peak District. It feels like home. I've been visiting the area for most of my life for both work and leisure and have committed to over 1,200 hours of volunteering with the Peak District National Park over the past two years.
"I realised recently that it's all about the people in the Peak District: the residents and landowners, those who work here and manage the landscape and its habitats, those who visit and enjoy what the place has to offer. To have an opportunity to contribute to the protection of that 'place' is an amazing privilege and something that has been an ambition of mine for a long time.
"Having only started this Monday, my immediate tasks will be getting to know everyone (EMP, MFFP, stakeholders, etc) and getting to know my patch to gear up for the first big holiday weekend at Easter.
"Most people do not set out on a beautiful Peak District evening to start a wildfire, but it’s so easily done. So my role is about education and proactive protection - stopping a spark before it becomes a catastrophe. With the Easter holidays coming up soon, I’ll be patrolling at high-risk times - dusk, evenings, weekends and bank holidays.
"Using thermal-imaging drones has become a hugely efficient way for us to spot wildfires quickly and get to the exact location before it’s too late. And I’ll be chatting to the public to raise awareness of how easily you can unintentionally start a wildfire. I’d say that 99% of people have no idea how dangerous their campfire or disposable barbecue can be, or even that these are banned in the Peak District."
What's the deal with wildfires?:
- Zero tolerance on naked flames - barbecues and campfires are strictly prohibited in the Peak District. One stray ember can devastate centuries of peat growth, sending thousands of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, degrading water quality, killing thousands of insects and ground-nesting birds, endangering firefighters (including volunteers) and harming local businesses.
- Emergency protocol - if you spot smoke or flames, dial 999 immediately and ask for the fire service. Provide a precise location using What3Words or a grid reference.
- Rapid ignition - do not be deceived by wet weather; vegetation can dry out within the hour even after heavy rainfall, creating ideal wildfire conditions.
- It could be you. No one thinks their fire will get out of control so they try one anyway despite the ban - instead, take a hot flask or use a camping stove with care.
Resilience through restoration
Ted Talbot, Programme Manager for Conservation and Land Management at Moors for the Future Partnership (MFFP) says, “Wetter is better. Healthy, water-logged peat acts as a natural firebreak and colossal carbon store, whereas dry, degraded peat provides high-energy fuel for deep, long-burning wildfires that devastate the landscape, wildlife, farming, tourism and human health. Investing in peatland rehabilitation work is the most effective long-term defence against wildfire. MFFP and this collaboration of organisations are already carrying out restoration work by re-vegetating bare peat, damming gullies to trap water and planting sphagnum moss, the vital peat-building plant.”
A call for private investment
This landmark Wildfire Engagement Officer role is a direct response to a shortfall in central government funding. Wildfires are estimated to cost the UK economy up to £20,000 per hectare, putting the Sheffield Moors area total at an estimated £1.6 million since 2018. To ensure the long-term stability of the landscape, human health and local businesses, the BMC Access & Conservation Trust is calling for increased financial support from the private sector, local companies and the public.
BMC Head of Access & Environment, Dr. Cath Flitcroft, says, “The BMC Access & Conservation Trust is funding a Wildfire Engagement Officer to help tackle the increasing risk of wildfire on the Sheffield Moors, particularly at a time when public funding is under pressure and many visitors are unaware of how fragile our peat and moorlands are. This work reflects a broader strategic focus for the BMC - helping to prevent wildfires across the UK through education and contributing to the restoration of our uplands so they are not only healthy landscapes for people and wildlife but they are also sequestering carbon helping to reduce overall emissions.”
How to support
- Donate: Contributions to the BMC Access & Conservation Trust’s Wildfire Appeal (part of The Climate Project campaign) are most gratefully received. Donate here.
- Participate: Join our upcoming sponsored Wildfire Walk (Sat 30 May 2026) in ‘fire’ colours, part of the BMC Big Walking Weekend, to help us raise further funds. Sign up here.
- Corporate sponsors are welcome, please get in touch with the BMC Access & Conservation Trust for opportunities to share news of your support with the BMC’s 82,000 members.
Donate to us for FREE!
Did you know that you can donate to the BMC Access & Conservation Trust entirely FREE simply by shopping online as you usually would, at any time of the year with Easyfundraising? It only takes two minutes to set up, here's how.
Donate to us (not for free!)
If you want to contribute to upland and mountain access and conservation causes like the above, then simply click here to donate to The BMC Access & Conservation Trust via The Climate Project or Mend Our Mountains campaigns at any time. One-off or regular donations of any amount are always most welcome.
Volunteer
Fancy fixing footpaths in the Lake District, placing stepping stones in Eryri or planting peat-building sphagnum moss in the Peak District? Sign up to one of our Get Stuck In events here. And if you can't volunteer, why not gift us the amount you would have spent in fuel or on a train fare getting to a volunteer event?
Leave a legacy
A wise person once said, the most noble thing you can do is to "plant trees under whose shade you will never sit" and, likewise, fund path repair projects on which you will never walk and moorland restoration projects which you will never see. If you'd like to make a lasting impact on the landscape long after you've left this world, please consider leaving us a legacy.
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