Plea to help keep countryside safe after inferno

FIREFIGHTERS who tackled the Marsden Moor inferno said the fire was highly unusual for February and a product of days of dry weather as they warned people of the dangers of BBQs and lit cigarettes.

The smoke and flames on the moorland could be seen for miles around as more than a kilometre-long front of flames spread across the hillside on Tuesday night.

It came after Britain saw its hottest winter day on record and Huddersfield experienced its hottest ever February day.

Station Commander Tony Pearson, from West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, said moor fires in February were ‘very unusual but not unheard of’.

He said: “We’ve had a few dry days and it’s dried the land out a little bit.”

He described the location of the fire as ‘horrendous’ as it took firefighters an hour to get there due to the terrain.

Mr Pearson said: “It was really uneven ground, really difficult working conditions on there.

“At first light in the morning there was a prime opportunity to get on top of the fire.

“When I arrived at first light, there was about a kilometre-long fire front behind us. It looked quite impressive, quite an intense fire.”

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue issued a warning about basic fire safety tips in the aftermath of the blaze.

Wildfire lead officer Dale Gardiner said “While we have not yet determined a cause of the fire, this is amongst the biggest moorland fires we have had to deal with in recent years.

“Wildfires are not generally common in February, so the above average weather conditions has elevated the wildfire risk across the county. Generally the summer months are our busiest times for wildfire, however due to the warmth we’re experiencing now, we feel it’s a good idea to remind the public of some steps they can take to stop this sort of thing happening.”

He said to prevent the cause or spread of further fires West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are reminding the public of some steps they can take to keep our countryside safe.

■ Clear up and take your rubbish home after picnics

■ Observe all signs and notices - they are there for a reason

■ Follow the National Trust Countryside Code

■ Don’t leave glass bottles- not only can they hurt people and animals, but they can magnify the sun’s rays and start a fire

■ Never be tempted to light a fire in the countryside and only barbeque in authorised areas

■ Never throw lighted cigarette ends onto the ground or out of the window of vehicles or trains. Always ensure that they are completely extinguished and disposed of responsibly.

But one expert said moorland fires in February are ‘quite normal’.

Thomas Smith, assistant professor in environmental geography at the London School of Economics (LSE), said: “This is the ‘muirburn’ season, when Natural England permit fires on moorlands, before a ban on burning around mid-April.

“Looking at the satellite image for Tuesday, there were plenty of wellmanaged fires burning across Northumberland and Highland moor sites.

“The situation at some sites (including in Marsden and Somerset) is that some fires have got out of control.

“The fires are occurring due to favourable weather conditions.

“It is not possible to attribute this short spell of warm, dry weather to climate change.

“However, these warm spells will become more likely with climate change, and so we should expect fire activity like we’ve seen this week to happen more frequently in future.”