SCORCHED EARTH
SEVEN DAYS OF DESTRUCTION TURNS BEAUTY SPOT INTO BARREN LANDSCAPE
THIS is the scene of utter devastation left behind after some of the worst wildfires in living memory ravaged Saddleworth Moor.
Seven days of relentless destruction has transformed the immense beauty spot into a barren, almost volcanic landscape.
Vivid green patches of land which the flames failed to reach now sit in stark contrast to charred, desolate swathes of scorched earth.
Once lush vegetation is now gnarled, brittle and dead.
Burnt-out rabbit holes hint at the shocking toll the fires have taken on the moor’s wildlife.
Meanwhile, sheep which were rescued from the path of the blaze have been spotted nearby, their once white fleece blackened by falling ash.
A week on, the heat is still oppressive and all consuming – coming not just from the sun beating down from the cloudless sky, but also rising from underfoot as the flames still rage underground.
Acrid smoke still hangs heavy in the air and every now and then, small pockets of fire can be seen bursting to the surface from deep within the smouldering peat.
And in the middle of it all, a band of exhausted firefighters are doing all they can to prevent the blaze from spreading, just as they have done relentlessly for the past week.
While the immediate threat to nearby properties appears to have passed, there is still a long road ahead for the fire service, mountain rescue teams, farmers and countless other organisations who have stepped up to help. Last week, soldiers from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, were drafted in and are expected to remain on the moors until at least today.
The flames could rear up again at any time, and with no rain forecast for the coming days, the work to suppress the blaze is relentless. Fire bosses have said it could take weeks for it to be extinguished completely.
At the height of the fire, homes in Carrbrook village had to be evacuated as the flames crept to within 50 yards of the properties, while a number of nearby schools were forced to close due to the thick smoke. Thousands of gallons of water have been used to fight the fire on the ground and from above, while hundreds of firefighters have worked countless hours to tackle the flames and keep the community safe.
The flames could rear up again at any time, with no rain forecast for the coming days Helen Johnson
Plane passengers coming in to land at Manchester Airport captured aerial shots of the vast plume of smoke which spread over Greater Manchester and beyond. With the fire service under immense pressure, the public are being urged to take extra care in a bid to prevent any other serious incidents from occurring. The week has been described as ‘the busiest in living memory for greater Manchester Fire and Rescue.’