First moorland fire of the year on hottest day so far destroys Peak District landscape

• Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service

One of the first moorland fires of the year broke out last night, on the warmest day of the year so far.

Six fire crews tackled the blaze at Birchen Edge, Baslow, in the Peak District and 1 hectare of bracken and grassland was destroyed.

Fortunately, the wind was blowing in the right direction, so the crews were able to contain the fire from two separate directions, preventing it spreading too far and it was out within around two hours.

They haven't yet worked out the cause of the fire, but firefighters are asking people to act responsibly if they are out enjoying the landscape in the warmer weather.

The ground is already dry enough for a single discarded cigarette, glass bottle or BBQ to cause a fire that can quickly spread.

It follows a difficult last year for the Peak District with some of the region's most popular tourist destinations urging us all to stay away as they became overrun with tourists during the pandemic.

Derbyshire Police controversially put a drone up to demonstrate the number of people out and about.

Over the summer the National Trust urged people not to fly-camp on its land, following a dramatic increase in the amount of discarded equipment and litter being left behind at countryside and coastal locations.

- Do not have a BBQ or campfire on the moors- Do not discard cigarette ends and smoking materials on the ground and extinguishthem properly- Take all rubbish home with you- If you see a fire, get to a safe place, note the fire’s location and call 999. Stay safe anddon’t attempt to tackle the fire yourself.- If you see or know of anyone having a BBQ or campfire in the moors let FireStoppers know anonymously on 0800 169 5558.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.