Wildfire-damaged Fylingdales Moor added to 2026 Heritage at Risk Register
A large area of wildfire-damaged moorland has been added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register 2026 following last summer’s devastating blazes on the North York Moors.
Fylingdales in the North York Moors National Park has been added to the register following a wildfire that damaged more than 20 scheduled monuments, six listed buildings and natural environments, including significant peatlands, across around 18 square kilometres.
In June 2025, the fire – which started after a camping stove was lit – broke out in Langdale Forest, spreading to Langdale Moor and Fylingdales Moor and burning for several weeks.
It affected thousands of people who live and work in the area as well as having a major impact on the natural environment.
Historic England have been supporting North York Moors National Park Authority, with training and a capacity building grant to assist in undertaking drone-based Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and aerial imagery to assess the impact and damage.
Drone and ground surveying is being used to rapidly record and assess the significance of revealed archaeological remains.
There is also a legacy challenge to fund more detailed analysis of the Fylingdales landscape using the remote sensed data.
Speaking at a media briefing earlier this year into the cause of the fire, Chief Fire Officer Jonathan Dyson said it was still “very raw” for the communities of North Yorkshire.
"It could happen again as this was caused by human behaviour and we need to educate and reinforce to people that there is a consequence, and we’re asking people not to use heating stoves or barbecues in that area,” he said.
"It’s not only the consequences to the landowners, the firefighters and farmers were at a significant risk as a result of this.
"This could have been more significant and thank goodness there was no loss of life.”
The fire was declared a major incident on August 13 due to its proximity to Critical National Infrastructure.
It also put pressure on North Yorkshire’s firefighters, with crews struggling to balance work to tackle the blaze with their normal duties and other employment, a report revealed.
The Heritage at Risk Register gives an annual snapshot of the health of England’s valued historic buildings and places and helps to bring awareness to valuable national heritage sites to ensure they can be protected and continue to be enjoyed in the future.