A charred natterjack toad has been discovered in Sefton, serving as a grim warning about the dangers of starting fires in coastal and green spaces. Sefton Council has urged the public to keep the borough “flame-free” following two recent blazes.
Fires in Bootle and Hightown
Last week, a fire tore through a patch of grass at Bootle’s North Park. Approximately a day later, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service responded to a blaze at Hightown dunes that had been burning for over two hours. Both fires were extinguished before they could spread uncontrollably, but Green Sefton rangers recorded multiple fire-related deaths of natterjack toads, sand lizards, skylarks, and various rare plant species.
Natterjack Toads: A Rare Species
Natterjack toads are native to sandy and heathland areas, distinguished by a yellow line down their back. They are smaller than common toads and extremely rare, found only in a handful of locations across England and Scotland. Locally known as “Bootle organs” due to their croaking sound, which can carry up to a mile across the dunes, these toads rely on shallow breeding pools established by rangers. In late April or early May, females lay one-to-two-metre strings of up to 7,500 eggs.
Conservation Efforts Threatened
Green Sefton has also scraped away grass from south-facing dunes to encourage sand lizard populations and removed invasive sea buckthorn plants that choke other flora and fauna. However, last week’s fires threatened these conservation efforts by devastating the fragile habitat.
Call for Flame-Free Behaviour
Green Sefton is urging people not to bring barbecues to public beaches or green spaces and to avoid starting any fires, as the current dry climate increases the risk of fires spreading. Fires on beaches can superheat sand, causing burns to anyone walking across it. The council also emphasises the importance of not leaving behind any items, such as broken glass, which can focus sunlight and ignite a fire.
Barbecues, open fires, and littering are prohibited under the coastal Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO). Anyone who spots an uncontrolled fire should call 999 and ask for the fire service. To report someone starting a fire or barbecue in a coastal or green space, they can call 101.
The recent blazes in Sefton follow two wildfires in North Wales and Greater Manchester, which left people across Merseyside and Cheshire smelling smoke for days.
