Winter Hill blaze crews scaling down fire efforts
FIREFIGHTERS are making ‘significant progress’ with the Winter Hill fire - but say only rain would finally bring the blaze to an end.
The fire, which has been burning for eleven days and covers an area roughly three square miles, has destroyed acres of moorland above Horwich in Bolton.
Crews, working all hours of the day and night, are now moving in to control ‘hot spots’ of fire within the peat.
The number of crews working at the site has been reduced from 32 at the height of the incident, to 16. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer Chris Kenny says national crews, who had been called in to assist, have now been stood down.
Firefighters from neighbouring services in Manchester, Cumbria, Yorkshire and Cheshire are still assisting Lancashire colleagues.
“It’s a steady scaling down now,” Mr Kenny said.
“But we’re conscious that changes in the wind could change things. We made significant progress over the weekend and the situation has been stabilised as much as it can
be. “Ultimately it will require the weather to help us. It’s anticipated to rain towards Thursday. “It will be the weather that helps us and we’re hoping until then the conditions don’t change dramatically.” The heatwave across Greater Manchester has meant firefighters have been forced to tackle the blaze in sweltering conditions. But temperatures are expected to drop slightly this week with the possibility of rain.
With the help of locals, firefighters have dug trenches and surrounded the burning moorland with a perimeter of cold, wet land to prevent it spreading any further.
This has allowed crews to concentrate on pouring as much water as possible on the remaining pockets of fire.
Crews are currently tackling hot spots, which burn down into the peat and will eventually resurface.
“There are hundreds and hundreds of hot spots around the moors which we are picking up on the infrared cameras,” Mr Kenny said.
“It might look as though the fire is out but these hot spots are why we are still up there.
“The perimeter has been consistent and won’t change that much. We’re still asking people to stay off the moors and not to light any barbecues.”