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WILDFIRES sweeping moorland in Lancashire and Greater Manchester were started deliberately, the fire service said yesterday, as crews battled to prevent smoke and flames reaching homes and communication towers.
Two blazes at Winter Hill and Scout Road near Bolton and a third at Healey Nab near Chorley, were set by arsonists as firefighters struggled to bring the huge conflagration at Saddleworth Moor under control.
Crews had already spent five days tackling the huge moor fire near Manchester when two new fires broke out on Thursday, and a third yesterday. One man has already been arrested and helicopters on reconnaissance flights and water drops will now be scouring the area for culprits, with those caught facing prison.
John Taylor, the press officer for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: “If you have fires starting on the moor in two different locations then it’s pretty obvious that it’s been done deliberately. It beggars belief that anyone would sink to the depths of starting more fires when the service is already so stretched.
“We’re asking people to stay away from the moors. We know that this is a curious and bizarre phenomenon and people want to see it, but for their own safety we would respectfully ask them to keep clear.”
The fight to control the blazing moorland entered its eighth day today with 120 firefighters from five forces involved in damping down the flames. The Army will also continue to provide help in the coming days and Merseyside Fire Service remains on standby.
Over the weekend, increasing wind speed led to the two fires on Winter Hill merging into a “rapidly developing aggressive fire” which at one point threatened a huge communications mast. Tony Cook, the Lancashire fire service area manager, said “very intensive firefighting” was taking place at the scene, where crews manually beat back the flames.
Dave Keelan, Greater Manchester’s assistant chief fire officer, said: “This is an exceptionally challenging time and I am proud of the hard work and brave commitment of our firefighters.”
The fire service has also warned people not to fly drones over Winter Hill as they are “putting firefighters and pilots’ lives at risk”, particularly with helicopters in the skies.
Fire brigades from across the country are on the scene to try and bring the situation under control, but they are working in hot conditions with “no significant rain forecast this week”, according to Helen Roberts, the Met Office forecaster.
She said: “The trend is for dry and very warm weather, which is far from ideal. Thunderstorms in the South West are unlikely to reach that far north. On Wednesday, there is the potential for showers in that vicinity but it could be a one-off, isolated and unlikely to hit the area. Thursday is similar and any showers would be isolated and fleeting. There is no significant rain forecast this week.”