Moorland fire on Winter Hill now put out - being treated as "deliberate"

  • Video sent in by Steve Gallagher

Fire crews have been fighting a fire that has broken out on moorland on Winter Hill near Bolton.

The Fire and Rescue Services were called to the blaze, near Church Street in Belmont, at 2.34pm.

8 fire engines and 40 firefighters from both Lancashire and Greater Manchester were in attendance at the height of the blaze with firefighters having to use water on the fire due to its "intensity".

Lancashire Fire and Rescue have said that the fire has now been put out and that they are treating it as "deliberate".

Anyone with any information is asked to contact ⁦@LancsPolice⁩ quoting log number 805 & today’s date (27/3/20).

The fire has broken out on moorland near the Belmont area of Winter Hill. Credit: Stephen Walton

Shaun Walton, a group manager at Lancashire Fire and Rescue tweeted asking members of the public to avoid the area.

They will remain at the scene "damping down" for several hours and say that traffic in the area is already building up.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue have estimated that the fire has burnt around 2km of grassland and flames have been seen at heights of "approximately 6m".

They added that the fire is being "wind-driven" up the hillside from the Blue Lagoon at Belmont to the monument on Rivington.

Fire breaks are also being made, according to the Fire Service.

A large fire broke out on the moor in June 2018 and spread across seven square miles over a month-long period.

Emergency services are asking people to please stay at home and avoid beauty spots in the region this weekend during the UK lockdown.