When wildfires blaze across the English countryside, the image that often comes to mind is one of firefighters battling flames against a backdrop of rolling hills and ancient stone villages. But in North Yorkshire this summer, the reality has been far more explosive—literally. Hidden beneath the dry, crackling vegetation of the North York Moors, World War II-era bombs and tank shells have turned an already dangerous wildfire into a high-stakes operation for emergency crews and local residents alike.
The Langdale Moor fire, which broke out on August 11, 2025, has scorched around 10 square miles of moorland, according to BBC News. The fire’s rapid spread has been fueled by an unusually hot and dry spring and early summer, leaving the landscape “tinder dry,” as described by local fire officials. The North York Moors National Park—covering more than 550 square miles and dotted with villages and coastal towns like Whitby—has rarely seen a blaze of this scale. Road closures and evacuations have disrupted summer tourism, while the loss of grazing land has left many farmers facing a bleak winter ahead.
But what truly sets this fire apart is the hidden danger lurking beneath the surface. As County Chief Fire Officer Jonathan Dyson told the BBC, “As the peat continues to burn down, it is finding the World War II ordnance and therefore exploding, and we have now experienced over 18 ordnance explosions within key areas.” The area where the fire is burning includes a former tank training ground used during the 1940s, which helps explain the presence of so many unexploded bombs and shells. Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that explosive ordnance disposal teams have discovered “various World War II-era unexploded ordnance items,” though they classified them as “inert practice projectiles.”
For fire crews, these hidden explosives have forced a dramatic shift in tactics. The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has adopted what Dyson called a “very defensive fire-fighting strategy” to keep personnel safe. Local farmers and gamekeepers have joined the effort, using water tanks and tractors to help create fire breaks and douse hotspots. Despite these efforts, the challenges are immense, as many parts of the blaze are simply too dangerous to approach.
The problem of unexploded ordnance is not unique to North Yorkshire. Across the United Kingdom, live-fire military training has sparked a significant number of wildfires in recent years. According to data obtained by the BBC, since January 2023, 385 out of 439 wildfires on Ministry of Defence land have been caused by army manoeuvres. Since 2020, over 1,178 wildfires have been linked to MoD training sites, with 101 of the 134 wildfires recorded in the first half of 2025 alone attributed to military activities.
These statistics have fueled growing concern among local communities and environmental advocates. The risks are not confined to the immediate dangers faced by fire crews; the environmental consequences are also profound. Farmers and landowners near military sites have described the aftermath of these fires as resembling a “burnt savannah,” with charred landscapes and lost livelihoods. Darren Coates, a local farm worker, told the BBC, “It’s people’s livelihoods. To see the moors and farmland burned to a crisp it is just devastating.”
The presence of unexploded bombs complicates firefighting efforts and poses a long-term hazard for the environment and public safety. Local fire crews often have limited access to designated “Range Danger Areas,” high-risk zones where they may be forced to let fires burn themselves out rather than risk injury from hidden munitions. George Winn-Darley, a landowner affected by a recent peat fire, criticized the MoD for inadequate clearing of old munitions, saying their presence hindered an effective response to the blaze. “It seems absurd to still be dealing with 80-year-old wartime legacies,” he remarked.
Smoke pollution from these fires has also become a perennial problem for nearby residents, particularly those with health conditions. Neil Lockhart, who lives near Salisbury Plain and suffers from asthma, expressed frustration about the impact of smoke during the summer months. “It’s a serious issue for my health and for many others in the area,” he said. Calls for a ban on live-fire training during dry months have grown louder, as locals urge the MoD to reconsider its practices in the face of climate change and increased wildfire risk.
The MoD, for its part, has emphasized its commitment to safety and risk management. A spokesperson stated that while the Langdale fire did not originate on MoD property, the department conducts risk assessments throughout the year and takes precautionary measures to limit live ordnance use during periods of heightened wildfire risk. The MoD also runs the “Respect the Range” campaign, aimed at educating the public about the dangers of military lands, including the risk of encountering unexploded munitions.
Efforts to address the wildfire crisis are ongoing. The National Fire Chiefs Council is collaborating with the MoD to better understand wildfire risks and develop more effective firefighting strategies. Rainfall on August 28, 2025, finally brought some relief to the North York Moors, helping crews gain a measure of control over the blaze. However, as of August 29, many roads and trails remained closed, and the fire was still active. “They are working hard on containing the fire by firefighting, hotspotting and adding fire breaks,” the fire service reported. “A helicopter is again in use today. We continue to ask people to avoid the area and not travel there to take photos and drone footage. This is an on-going operational incident and we want to make sure our crews, partners and the public stay safe.”
Remarkably, despite the scale of the fire and the explosions of old ordnance, there have been no reports of injuries or serious structural damage. The cause of the Langdale Moor fire has not yet been established, and investigations are ongoing. Meanwhile, unaffected farms and stables in the area have offered temporary shelter for animals displaced by the blaze, demonstrating the community’s resilience in the face of adversity.
As Britain faces what could be its hottest year on record, the intersection of military history, climate change, and rural livelihoods has never been more apparent. The wildfires of 2025 have laid bare the complex challenges of balancing national defense, environmental stewardship, and public safety—reminding all involved that the past can quite literally explode into the present when least expected.
