Crash warning to drone owners as helicopters fight moorland fires
DRONE owners have been told to stop flying their devices over an enormous moorland fire – to avoid a potential collision with helicopters being used to help fight the blaze.
Lancashire Fire Service said three drones have been sighted hovering over the fire on Winter Hill, near Bolton, with users believed to be filming the inferno.
A spokesman said the fire service was worried about the risk of collisions with a police helicopter and with a helicopter owned by water firm United Utilities, which is dropping water on the blaze.
Posting a warning on social media, it wrote: ‘Would all amateur drone users please steer clear of this area, it does hamper our extremely important work.’
The spokesman said: ‘Drone users have been contacted and it’s been explained to them why they’ve not been asked to fly, where movement of helicopters might be hindered or endangered.’
Lancashire Police urged members of the public to stay away from the fire.
Officers said they had to deal with numerous incidents including people driving to the scene to record the incident on mobile phones, blocking access roads for emergency vehicles.
The warning came as the Winter Hill fire yesterday grew to the point it merged with another moorland fire off Scout Road to cover three square miles. The blaze, which was declared a major incident, is expected to continue burning into the coming week.
Flames could be seen leaping 6ft in the air as they caught fresh vegetation, while other areas smouldered with acrid smoke.
About 100 firefighters were at the scene, from Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and further afield including Humberside and Nottinghamshire, Northumberland, Cumbria and South Wales.
Another large moorland blaze at Tameside Moors, near Saddleworth, which last week came close to houses leading to the evacuation of up to 100 residents, has now been burning for a week.
It has been fought by 160 firefighters assisted by 160 soldiers and seven square miles of moorland has been affected.
A further fire broke out yesterday afternoon on moorland at Healey Nab, on the edge of Chorley – a couple of miles to the north of the Winter Hill fire. The prolonged spell of hot weather has left grass and shrubland parched.
A businessman has told how his country cottage had to be saved by firefighters who dug a protective ‘ trench’ as flames from the Winter Hill fire engulfed the surrounding moorland.
Mike Sewell and his wife Belinda bought the 200-year- old stone house three years ago and have spent £100,000 on renovations.
But their £400,000 dream home came perilously close to being consumed by the fire, which has been burning since Thursday. Mr Sewell, 54, who runs a kitchen supply business with his wife, 50, said: ‘We were very worried. My biggest fear was that the fire could destroy the house. It was on our doorstep, 50 yards away, we were surrounded by it.’
Mr and Mrs Sewell, their son Connor, 21, who live in the main house, were asked to evacuate on Thursday night, along with daughter Deanna, also 23, her partner George Yewdale, 20, and their infant son Cameron, 18 months, who live in a static caravan on the same site. They have since been staying with friends. Mr Sewell said the trench was dug by the fire service on Saturday, using an excavator. He said: ‘It encircles our home and is about three to four feet wide. The fire service have cleared the top layer of vegetation which should prevent the fire from spreading any closer.’
The fire is also near the Winter Hill television transmitter, but Arqiva, which manages it, said the danger to the mast had receded due to a change in the direction of the fire.
Lancashire Police investigating the Winter Hill fire have continued to question a 22-year-old man from Bolton, who was arrested on Friday on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.
Greater Manchester Police said no arrests had been made in connection with the Tameside Moors blaze, despite claims that scrambler bikers were responsible.
Richard Burch, a gamekeeper for the Stalybridge Estate, where the fire started, said he told police last week how four bikers had built a racecourse, ripping up vegetation and setting it on fire.
But as efforts were made to put out the fires yesterday, people were spotted lighting fires near both the Healey Nab and Scout Road fires. Someone was caught at Healey Nab. Tony Crook, of Lancashire Fire Service, said: ‘It’s absolutely heartbreaking.’
‘Our house was surrounded by it’