Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has identified any peatland site which has been demonstrated to be wildfire resilient because of rewetting alone.

There are a number of examples of peatland sites which have increased their wildfire resilience due to restoration across the country, including at The Roaches and Dove Stone in the Peak District.

Rewetting peat takes time, and reducing burning is essential to allow sites the opportunity to recover. Peatland management varies across landscapes, but rewetting can significantly improve a site's resilience to wildfire. This resilience does not mean a site becomes fireproof; rather, rewetted peat is better able to resist ignition, limit the spread of fire, act as a fire break, and recover more quickly than dry or degraded peatlands.