A Yorkshire Coast MP has joined calls for the Government to extend its support for those impacted by devastating wildfires in North Yorkshire.
Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake, whose Thirsk and Malton constituency includes Filey and Pickering, has launched a petition and campaign calling on the Government “for a dedicated Wildfire Recovery Fund, urging fair compensation and ongoing support for those on the frontline”.
Last month, Alison Hume, the Labour MP for Scarborough and Whitby, reiterated that the Government should make grants available following fires such as the blaze on Langdale Moor last Summer.
The Conservative and Labour MPs appear to have found common ground on the need for relief schemes.
In August, a major incident was declared when a fire broke out on the moor near RAF Fylingdales. At its height the blaze covered 10 sq miles (25 sq km).
Mr Hollinrake, said:
“I’m running a campaign to call on the Government to create a dedicated Wildfire Recovery Fund to ensure fair compensation for this and any future incidents.
“Our countryside is only as strong as the people who protect it.
”Last year’s Langdale Moor wildfire exposed a stark truth: rural communities often face disasters with little support. Local farmers, gamekeepers, landowners, and volunteers acted swiftly, protecting livestock, livelihoods, and homes, yet many are still left to bear the financial burden.
”I have pressed the Government for a dedicated Wildfire Recovery Fund, urging fair compensation and ongoing support for those on the frontline. Moorland management, including controlled burning, is vital to prevent larger, more destructive fires – but recent Government restrictions risk making wildfires worse.”
Speaking in a House of Commons debate last month, Labour MP Ms Hume said:
“The local community, including farmers and businesses, stepped in to help firefighters battle the enormous blaze, which at its height covered 10 square miles.
“Unlike in the case of flooding, though, there is no clear route to Government grants for wildfire events. Does the Leader of the House agree that we need to look urgently at widening the farming recovery fund and flood recovery framework to cover wildfires?”
Last year, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby also highlighted that after having seen how close the fire got to RAF Fylingdales, she would ask the Government
“whether a national resilience [response] should be triggered when a critical military facility is within scope of the fire”.
RAF Fylingdales, on the North Yorkshire coast in Pickering, provides a continuous ballistic missile early warning service to the UK and US Governments.
Mr Hollinrake said his campaign would be taken “directly to the Government” via the Environment Secretary, and will run until the end of March. you can find the petition at https://www.kevinhollinrake.org.uk/campaigns/campaigning-fair-wildfire-fund
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