Police and fire officers have warned that criminal action will be taken against anyone deliberately setting fires on moorland after fire crews reported attending six wildfires since Christmas Day.

A period of exceptionally dry and windy weather contributed to the spread of a fire at Meldon Common on Dartmoor near Chagford as well as five uncontrolled wildfires in the West Anstey Common area on Exmoor.

Both locations were targets for similar incidents in the previous year, a spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire Service said.

‘During the swaling period of 2025, we saw a substantial increase in incidents where individuals deliberately started fires and left them unattended. This is a situation that we do not want duplicated in 2026,’ noted Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service watch manager Ian Donovan. ‘This activity is illegal and both fire and police agree that these activities must stop. Where these activities are deemed to be suspicious, and the fires have been deliberately ignited, the police will take positive action against those involved,’ he added. ‘These uncontrolled fires require multiple appliances to attend and therefore prevent the resources from attending more pressing emergencies where lives may be at risk.’

Devon and Cornwall Police rural affairs officer PC Julian Fry pointed out that the deliberate setting of unauthorised fires in public open spaces is a criminal offence that destroys wildlife habitats, threatens historic sites, and puts lives at risk. ‘In its most basic form, arson is criminal damage by fire which can lead to a fine, a community order or a prison sentence,’ he said. ‘Arson is always treated seriously by police and the courts and with very good reason. The most severe cases - where a person’s reckless behaviour has caused life to be endangered - can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.’