BOILING WEATHER BRINGS FEAR AND TRAGEDY
Two new arsons sicken fire chiefs
FIREFIGHTERS tackling a giant moorland blaze were “sickened” yesterday after arsonists started two more grass fires nearby.
A helicopter pilot spotted two people acting suspiciously before the new blazes erupted four miles from where 150 were battling the main fire on the Lancashire moors near Bolton.
The United Utilities helicopter had to be diverted to “bomb’ the flames with water from a reservoir, before they took hold. Lancashire Fire and Rescue spokesman John Taylor said: “It makes me feel intensely sick. I would say to them they could end up in jail.”
Fire group manager Tony Crook said: “It absolutely astounds me that people would decide to light grass fires when you’ve got a major incident occurring at the same time.
“You will get caught. You are putting yourselves at risk, the community at risk and putting emergency workers at risk.” Ditches have been dug then flooded around The Winter Hill TV transmitter and mobile phone masts which cover the north of England.
Firefighters spent a seventh day battling a fire on Saddleworth Moor 30 miles away, which is also feared to have been started deliberately.
They said strong winds and the difficulty of getting water to remote moorlands was making their job more difficult. Tourists – and several ice cream sellers – were warned to stay away.