Miles of moorland destroyed in weekend fires

Miles of moorland above Littleborough were destroyed during weekend fires.

On Friday afternoon (17 April) there was a large blaze on moorland at Blackstone Edge and then on Saturday afternoon there was a fire on Littleborough Moors off Halifax Road that is thought to have been started deliberately.

Around 45 firefighters attended the blaze at Blackstone Edge and it took more than an hour to bring it under control. Three square miles of moorland were destroyed.

Four fire crews attended Littleborough Moors at around 4.15pm on Saturday and used hose reels and beaters to tackle a fire that had been started deliberately. Another three square miles of moorland were damaged.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service said: "Every year fire destroys thousands of acres of countryside and wildlife habitats. Some fires are started deliberately, but most are due to carelessness. Keep the glorious British countryside picture perfect and your visit trouble-free by following our straightforward advice."