More than 200 in fight to put out moor blaze
MORE than 200 firefighters have been involved in the four-day operation to finally put the Marsden Moor fire out.
The fire, which was started by a discarded barbeque, is now estimated to cover more than 10sq kilometres of moorland and is the worst in recent history.
Although the fire had been contained and flames put out yesterday crews remained on the scene in case any hot spots sparked up again.
In a statement the National Trust said it was now estimated that an investment of up to £360,000 in restoring the special habitat at Marsden Moor had been lost. They have also lost a specialist moorland vehicle and firefighting equipment in the blaze.
They also revealed that fire crews had to tackle FOUR additional fires on Tuesday.
And they said a special public meeting will now be held to discuss the issue of wildfires after six on Marsden Moor so far this year.
A spokeswoman for the National Trust said: “Over 200 firefighters from 10 fire crews attended from West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Merseyside and Tyne and Wear.
“Ten water pumps, helicopters and a specialist high volume pump have been in use, taking water from nearby reservoirs to the fire. Trained National Trust Rangers from the West Yorkshire and Peak District and volunteers assisted in beating down flames with specialist equipment.
“Crews, staff and volunteers remained on site on Tuesday, and worked to contain the fire in continued warm, dry weather. This included tackling an additional four separate fires nearby.
“The Fire Service and National trust teams remained on site on
It is estimated that an investment of up to £360,000 in restoring this special habitat has been lost.
Wednesday. Foggy conditions helped to bring moisture to the moorland but also meant visibility was limited. The fire has been contained but hotspots within the area remain and are being monitored in case of further flare-ups.
“Rain forecast this week should help the fire crews’ efforts and bring much-needed moisture to the moorland after a prolonged dry spell.
“National Trust rangers, volunteers and partner organisations will shortly begin to assess the impact of the devastation and take the first steps to help the landscape and wildlife to recover.
“At present it is estimated that an investment of up to £360k in restoring this special habitat has been lost. The deployment of the helicopter itself costs the National Trust, a conservation charity, £2,000 per hour. The National Trust has also lost a specialist moorland vehicle and firefighting equipment in the blaze.”
The Trust has launched a fundraising appeal to help restore the moorland.
The spokeswoman said the public meeting will take place on May 21 at Marsden Mechanics Hall with more details to be released nearer the time.