Damage caused by a wildfire on Silloth dunes has been described as ‘horrifying’ by the organisation which looks after the area.
Solway Coast National Landscape said its farming officer had been in the area this morning to check the aftermath of the blaze, which broke out on Saturday.
It said: ” The extent of the damage was horrifying- these are some of the best dune systems in the North West, home to all manner of species, many that can’t survive elsewhere.
“It’s the worst time of year for a fire as it’s nesting and flowering season and sad to say we saw evidence of charred and burnt animals.
We don’t know how this particular fire started but please don’t have fires and barbecues anywhere near the dunes as fire risk is extremely high at the moment.
“Please stay vigilant if you see a fire and report immediately to the fire brigade with as much detail as you can (a What3Words location is ideal).
“We’ve seen several posts on other forums saying ‘wildlife will just move somewhere else’.
“Unfortunately this isn’t the case or we would not have lost so many species over the past 50 years and be in the middle of a nature crisis.
“We should be really proud of our beautiful places, amazing landscapes and special wildlife here on the Solway but we do need to look after them to make sure they are safe for future generations to enjoy.”
Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service said it was called out at around 2.25pm on Saturday to the blaze on the sand dunes on Silloth’s beach.
Four crews from Aspatria, Wigton, Maryport and Workington worked tirelessly to tackle the fire, along with three wildfire units from Silloth, Keswick and Windermere.
Firefighters were at the scene for over six hours and the site was inspected the following day to confirm the fire remained out.
Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service said crews had been called to multiple wildfires across the county over the weekend.
