Firefighters believe that fire at Marsden Moor near Huddersfield may have been deliberate act

  • Video report by Jon Hill

Firefighters who've been tackling a huge West Yorkshire blaze at a Site of Special Scientific Interest say it may have been started deliberately.

Witnesses reported that the fire sparked in several different areas leading to fire chiefs investigating whether it could be the work of arsonists.

Dozens of emergency services were called to tackle an initial fire at Marsden Moor near Huddersfield at around 3.45pm yesterday (20 April).

As they were packing up, West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue service were then notified of and raced to a second fire that ignited on Black Moss close to Wessenden Lodge.

Acres of moorland now lie charred with the second fire extinguished at 8.45am today (Friday 21 April).

A West Yorkshire Fire drone team assessed the damage to the land from the skies. Below you can see the footage they took and sent across to us.

The first fire was around 1.5kms wide with the larger second blaze at 2km blown by strong winds up Black Moss and lighting in more than one location.

Marsden Moor is a 5,000-acre Site of Special Scientific Interest which is home to ground-nesting birds and blanket peat bogs.

RSPB were in attendance last night surveying potential damage to threatened species that call the area home.

It is a breeding habitat and popular site for rare curlews, short-eared owls and mountain hares.


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