UK Firemaking laws.

[Kizzle]

Well i have been looking over the internet about the Swedish Firesteel and have just ordered one, i was watching some videos about basic fire building etc. and was quite shocked that people were making fire in woodland areas. I thought there would be some kind of rule against this, do you need a license to make such fires?

Mark.

 

[alpha_centaur]

Thankfully not everything in the UK is regulated yet!! Give it time and it will be

 

[British Red]

You need the permission of the landowner in most woodland in England- in some areas (e.g. the New Forest) it is specifically illegal

Red

 

[Northern Giant UK]

License

I get the feeling that your not aware just how damp it is in the UK

Kev
(in the soggy North East)

 

[Kizzle]

Thankyou for your replies, So i guess when out walking i can practice some bushcraft technique's such as the feather stick and practice lighting them with the firesteel.

Thanks alot, Mark

 

[Jay.in.the.woods]

Yeah, just make sure it's out and the cold ashes scatted.

 

[Peter_t]

am i right in thinking you can light fires on the beach as long as you are below the high tide mark?


pete

 

[sam_acw]

Depends where, I know some beaches with lots of no fires signs.

 

[scrubcutter]

As an estate worker, we very rarely have fires in woodland. The reason being that fires can damage the soil as well as the roots of trees of course; and it's surprising how long the damage lasts for. I always grimace when I see a programme on TV where they do have fires in woods. All the old (and retired) woodsman (hurdlemakers, coppicers, so on) I know would have a fit if they saw a fire in a wood.

However, small fires, properly located, shouldn't be much of a problem (along with permission and common sense as mentioned in the other posts).

I don't think there is any specific national legislation that forbids fires in woodland (it's usually found as a subsection in Parliamentary Acts such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act and the CRoW Act) but there are local byelaws in place. Suffice to say that any protected areas, nature reserves, SSSI's, etc. have full protection from camp fires, barbeques, and so on.

Scrubbity

 

[inthewids]

People have been having fires for thousands of years, if you are responsible and take care as to where it is located and clear up the ashes afterwards then i dont see the problem. It just takes a few idiots setting forests alight to spoil it for us lot.

I have done a bit of brashing and clearing and it sickened me to see workers setting the brash piles alight with diesel!!