Skip to content

Moorland hit by fresh wildfire as heatwave peaks

James FellNorth West
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service A fire stretching across the width of the image, emanating from the silhouette of bushes or shrubs. The sky is smoky and orange coloured. There is a fence made from wire and wooden poles at the front of the image.Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Firefighters used specialist equipment to bring the moorland blaze under control

Firefighters have brought a fresh wildfire in Greater Manchester under control in an area plagued by the blazes all summer.

Fire crews were sent to the blaze near Holmfirth Road in Oldham, at about 22:25 BST on Wednesday - with the fire covering an area of about 1,640 by 492ft (500m by 150m) at its height.

Engines remained at the scene on Thursday afternoon dampening down hotspots and working to prevent the fire from spreading.

It comes just weeks after major wildfires burned across nearby land at Dove Stone Reservoir and Swineshaw for almost three weeks, with a major incident declared.

Investigating cause

The major incident was stood down earlier this month are the fires were largely contained.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said the latest fire was not connected to those earlier blazes and the cause was being investigated.

A road closure was put in place on Holmfirth Road between Dove Stone and Greenfield reservoirs, with people urged to avoid the area.

The fire comes as an amber extreme heat warning remained in place across much of England, including Greater Manchester, with temperatures forecast to reach as high as 38C in parts of the country.

The UK is currently experiencing its fifth heatwave of the year, while large areas of England and all of Wales remain in drought.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.