Revealed, moor blaze came so close to TV mast
PICTURE SHOWS HOW NEAR FLAMES WERE TO TRANSMITTER
THE blaze on Winter Hill came frighteningly close to the region’s vital TV transmitter, the M.E.N. can reveal.
We were given access to the site where the mast, which serves seven million people across the north west, is stationed.
And it is clear the transmitter must have been under serious threat, with the land all around it scorched by the flames.
The M.E.N. was told that staff working in the station under the transmitter had to be evacuated when the two moors fires converged on Saturday, June 30, producing tall flames and huge plumes of smoke that resulted in it being declared major incident.
Thankfully, crews were able to dig some fire breaks around the mast and station before having to withdraw, which prevented the transmitter from catching fire and being damaged.
They also managed to successfully protect a number of neighbouring smaller masts, which provide mobile phone signal and emergency services radio signal. Insiders said it would have made dealing with the incident even more difficult had they been burned.
Fire chiefs said they used ‘a number of tactics,’ including the tactical burning a of earth to stop the fire spreading. It was feared originally that people’s TV pictures could be affected by the incident, but the hard work from firefighters prevented that from happening. The owners of the mast, Arqiva, tweeted after it was protected: “The fire has diminished in the area surrounding the Winter Hill mast and there is growing confidence that there will be no service disruption. “Huge thanks and gratitude to the emergency services for their incredible efforts in very difficult circumstances.” The mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “I want to thank the firefighters. They have been doing a brilliant job.” The original mast came into service in 1956, and carried the programmes of Granada ITV on weekdays and ABC TV at weekends. This was replaced by the current tower in 1966 and it provides TV and radio signal from key terrestrial providers, including the BBC and Channel 4. The altitude of the site also means Winter Hill’s transmitting antennas are the highest of any main television transmitter in the country at 718m. It serves a number of major towns and cities including Liverpool, Birkenhead, Warrington, Preston and Blackpool, as well as Greater Manchester. Mast owners Arqiva