This is the verdict of the North York Moors National Park's head of park management Bernie McLinden.

The fires, which destroyed hundreds of acres of moorland, were started by gamekeepers on 1 October, the first legal day for heather burning.

But the controlled fires, started to allow the heather to generate new shoots for grouse, were fanned by high winds and raged out of control starting at Goathland the following night.

At the height of the fires, 150 firefighters – with help from the gamekeepers – battled to bring the blazes at Egton High Moor, Skelderskew Moor in Commondale, Bransdale Moor near Guisborough and the biggest at Danby Low Moor, under control.

The whole of the area affected by the fire is classed as a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Mr McLinden told a Northern Area Forum meeting on Tuesday that not all the estates were involved in the controlled burning – five estates were responsible – but the fires had spread onto moorland belonging to other landowners including Danby High Moor.

He said The Moorland Association and Natural England are taking the matter very seriously.

"The estates have contacted Natural England to say they are responsible.

"A lot of lessons have been learned in the wrong way," he said.

"We shouldn't have to learn in this way by having some big fires and that message has gone out to those particular estates.

"Sometimes controlled fires do get out of hand but not in a situation when it could be prevented.

"The fire service are doing a debrief of the whole thing and have yet to come up with a figure for the cost."

He added there will not be a restoration cost for the moorland as it will rejuvenate itself but he couldn't say whether fines would be issued to the estates.

Chairman of Danby Group Parish Council, Pam Reeves, told the meeting at Danby Moors Centre the fires had "seriously inconvenienced villagers" as police had to close the A171 Whitby to Guisborough Road.

"I know we can't rely on advanced weather forecasts but they were saying there would be high winds that weekend," she said.

"A lot of people were highly inconvenienced that weekend.

"To me it was negligence. The public shouldn't be expected to bear the full brunt of the cost."

Mr McLinden replied: "Gamekeepers that didn't burn then would probably agree as well.

"Perhaps the keepers out that day weren't experienced enough, I don't know."

Peter Welsh, area north manager for Natural England, told the Whitby Gazette after the meeting: "We are extremely concerned when burning causes damage to moorland habitats and investigate any burning activity which is likely to result in a breach of the burning regulations."

And Martin Gillibrand, secretary of the Moorland Association added: "We are taking it seriously.