A MAN has been jailed after half a million pounds worth of damage was caused to precious moorland has been jailed.
Viktor Riedly, 28, has been sentenced to a year in prison after a blaze on Marsden Moor in April last year which involved more than 100 firefighters and a helicopter to tackle and finally douse the inferno.
Riedly, of Henry Street, Huddersfield, headed up to the moor on an April evening and lit a firework which went off and caused the blaze.
Leeds Crown Court heard how he tried to extinguish the fire but it soon spread out of control.
The fire caused widespread damage to Marsden Moor, which is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).
It destroyed precious peatland habitat and harmed wildlife including ground nesting birds.
There was also a high financial price with £500,000 in costs to the emergency services and damage caused.
Experts estimate it could take hundreds of years to replace sections of valuable moorland habitat and was declared a major incident by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS), who fought for three days to control the blaze in April last year.
Riedly pleaded guilty to committing arson, causing £164,731 worth of damage and was sentenced on Monday.
The moorland blaze (Picture: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service)
The devastating blaze (Picture: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service)
After the sentencing on Monday, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service area manager Scott Donegan said: "We as a service very much welcome the sentence handed out today and hope it reminds others not to start fires on our moorland.
“This fire caused huge damage to the environment on the moor and required a large response from WYFRS.
“Fires like these are the reason we have public space protection orders banning flammable items like fireworks, barbecues and fires on moorland – they can have a devastating impact on the brilliant spaces we are lucky enough to have in West Yorkshire.”
The moorland blaze (Picture: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service)
National Trust West Yorkshire operations manager, Craig Best, next to blackened moorland at Marsden Moor last April
The fire service has reminded the public not to bring flammable objects onto moorland, following the sentencing.
Recovery work following the fire has already begun, with 65,000 sphagnum moss plugs planted across Marsden Moor over autumn and winter.
The moss helps to re-wet the moorland, reducing the risk of future fires. It also helps to restore peat and capture carbon.
Most of the planting has been done by volunteers, including local school children and firefighters from Meltham and Slaithwaite Fire Station.
The ban on barbecues and fires on Marsden Moor runs all year round and is part of a public spaces protection order.
If you see a fire or someone using a barbecue on moorland, please dial 999 and ask for the fire brigade.
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