Hedgehog Bonfire Safety: Preventing Seasonal Injuries

Guy Fawkes Night and garden bonfires kill hundreds of hedgehogs annually who shelter in prepared bonfires, with simple precautions preventing this.

Key Facts

Hedgehogs begin hibernation from October onwards and seek dry sheltered sites including log and leaf piles
Pre-built bonfires are ideal hedgehog hibernation sites due to their warmth and shelter
Moving a bonfire to a new position on the day of lighting allows hedgehogs to escape safely
Checking a bonfire with a torch before lighting takes minutes and prevents severe burn injuries
Wildlife organisations estimate hundreds of hedgehogs are burned in bonfires annually in Britain

Welfare Considerations

Hedgehogs sheltering in bonfires that are lit suffer severe burn injuries, smoke inhalation and death. Individuals who survive initial burning face prolonged suffering from injuries that are extremely difficult to treat. The welfare harm from bonfire injuries is entirely preventable with a few seconds of care before lighting. This represents one of the most direct and simple welfare interventions available to any householder: the simple act of checking with a torch before lighting prevents individual animals from suffering a catastrophic welfare event.

What You Can Do

Always build a bonfire on the day of lighting rather than constructing it in advance
Check any pre-built bonfire with a torch from ground level before lighting
Move a prepared bonfire to a new position immediately before lighting to allow any sheltering animals to escape
Contact a wildlife rescue if you find an injured hedgehog after a bonfire incident