Moorland blaze contained by fire crews must still be doused
A LARGE moorland blaze in Lancashire has been contained but firefighters are continuing to douse smouldering peat below the surface.
Fire chiefs declared a major incident on Saturday after two large-scale blazes either side of Winter Hill near Bolton merged because of increased wind speed.
Colleagues from Greater Manchester, who have been battling a similar fire near Saddleworth Moor some 30 miles away, joined Lancashire Fire and Rescue and other crews from around the country to prevent it spreading further.
Yesterday, Lancashire’s chief fire officer Chris Kenny said a total of 29 fire engines remain on site along with specialist wildfire fighting teams, helicopters, drones and mountain rescue units.
Their aim was to protect the public and the “vital infrastructure” of the Winter Hill TV and radio transmitting station, said Mr Kenny. He said: “We are working with colleagues in the emergency services, local authorities, public health and other partners to respond to this major incident jointly.”
Meanwhile, firefighters are working 17-hour shifts without a break to tackle the moorland fires, raising concerns about the lack of available crews to relieve them, union leaders have warned.
The Fire Brigades Union also claimed that fire services were having to rely on donations for basic supplies such as sun cream, insect repellent, caps and socks.
And opposition MPs were “surprised” no meeting of the Government’s emergency committee Cobra was held in the wake of the moorland fires, a Labour MP has said. Raising an urgent question in the Commons about the ongoing fire at Saddleworth and Tameside Moor Jonathan Reynolds said “words alone cannot adequately describe the scale of the challenge this fire has posed”.
Shadow Fire Minister Karen Lee told MPs their work this last week “goes to show their passionate commitment to public service”.