Pirbright Ranges: Urgent appeal after heathland fire

An appeal has been launched to help the recovery of a heathland habitat and its wildlife after a large fire.

Surrey Wildlife Trust is urgently asking for donations for Pirbright Ranges, one of the largest areas of lowland heath in Surrey.

July's fire severely burned over 650 acres of heathland. The land was home to 200 red deer and other rare and threatened species.

The wildlife organisation called it a "climate and nature emergency".

The red deer carry out a vital role by grazing the heathland to prevent scrub including Scots pine, common gorse and silver birch from taking over the site, according to the wildlife trust.

The ranges are still burning and there are fears of more fires during the warmer temperatures forecast for this week.

Following the fire, hundreds of meters of fencing and heavy-duty sleepers that keep the deer safely on site now need to be replaced.

The immediate impact includes the potential loss of hundreds of recently fledged rare ground-nesting birds, including European nightjars, Dartford warblers and woodlark, which may have been too young to fly away from the fire.

Reptiles like slow worms, grass snakes and adders have been unable to escape the fire.

James Herd, Surrey Wildlife Trust's director of reserves management, said: "We urgently need extra support to meet the challenge.

"Whilst the heathland will regenerate over time, it is likely to be eight to twelve years before it returns to full health.

"The deer will perform a unique and irreplaceable role in ensuring the lowland habitats recover during this time."

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