VISITORS to the Quantock Hills are being reassured not to be alarmed if they see plumes of smoke of rising from the horizon.
The Quantock Hills National Landscape Partnership (QHNLP) said it was most likely to be the swaling season underway, which runs until March 31.
The annual swaling programme involves the controlled burning of vegetation, a traditional means of managing heathland, moorland, and grassland to encourage new growth which has been practiced for thousands of years.
Quantocks Rangers and volunteer rangers will be out burning sections of heather and gorse until the end of next month.
They aim to use controlled fires to remove surface vegetation to allow new growth from roots and seeds which remain undamaged in the soil.
The practice also ensures there are fire breaks at various points across the hills in case of summer fires.
A partnership spokesperson said: “Each autumn we train a group of volunteers to use the equipment safely and help them understand why and where we are carrying out the management.
“We follow Defra’s heather and grass burning code, and obviously take the safety considerations very seriously.
“Essentially, the work is done to burn heather and gorse that has grown too high to support many species and where nothing grows underneath.
“These mature blocks of vegetation may also potentially pose a fire hazard during the drier summer months.
“By having a mixed age structure of heathland plants, more bird species are supported and the grazing animals have more vegetation to eat.
“As well as seeing plumes of smoke from the top of the hills you may well see similar sights over the Mendip Hills and Exmoor National Park, who carry out the same activity.
“If you are concerned, please do ring the fire service, and if it is us carrying out swaling in an area they will know about it, and if it is not they will respond accordingly.”
The spokesperson said the partnership’s swaling plan worked to a map of all of the areas to be burnt over a 10-year period.
Areas were chosen on a rotational basis with some needing to be burnt more frequently than others.
In early autumn, rangers, landowners, and the commoners would meet to discuss the plan and amend the areas if necessary.
Last year, the partnership also trialled a couple of blocks using a ‘cut and collect’ method where the vegetation was cut using a tractor mounted flail and then the bundles of vegetation removed to spread over bare patches of soil.
The spokesperson said: “This method was used where previous burns had failed due to the patchy distribution of the vegetation and an area used as an adder hibernacula.”
The partnership, which meets quarterly, is a joint advisory committee of Somerset Council and acts as an executive to direct the work of the National Landscape team and ensure partners work together to conserve and enhance the Quantock Hills.
More information about the annual swaling programme is available on the on the Quantock Hills website.