Saddleworth Moor fire: Army called in as authorities scramble to stop inferno spreading

More than 100 firefighters now involved as Met Office predicts weather to get even hotter

The military has been called in to help battle the moorland fire that has engulfed swathes of land in Greater Manchester on the hottest day of the year so far.

Authorities declared the inferno on Saddleworth Moor a “major incident” as plumes of smoke from multiple blazes covered the sky. Some 34 homes were evacuated on Tuesday night as the flames – in some cases reportedly up to 20ft high – crept closer.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said that at one stage the blaze covered a 6km area. More than 100 firefighters are now engaged in tackling the fire but senior officers said they had not yet discovered the cause.

While the fire started on Sunday and was initially brought under control, it was reignited on Monday by the hot weather and then spread throughout the course of Tuesday.

Dave Keelan, GMFRS’s assistant chief fire officer, said on Wednesday afternoon: “We have been liaising with a military adviser on the scene and following those discussions we have requested military assistance from the Ministry of Defence.

“There’s still a lot of smoke from the fire but air quality levels are being monitored regularly in different locations. Air quality is currently at a safe level and therefore residents have been let back into their homes.

“We don’t know the cause of this incident at this stage and it would be very difficult to ascertain the cause due to the extent of the damage but we will be looking into that once we have tackled the fire.”

Two helicopters, one from Greater Manchester Police and the other from United Utilities, have been deployed, with the latter capable of dropping water on parts of the fire that are difficult to reach on foot.

The decision to call in the army came as Wednesday officially became the hottest day of the year so far, with a temperature of 31.9C recorded in Wales amid a days-long heatwave.

The Met Office warned that temperatures were still rising, meaning the record could be broken again within the next 24 hours.

Thirty-four homes in Carrbrook have been evacuated as a precaution but there are no reported injuries.

Four schools were also closed on Wednesday – Mossley Hollins High School, Buckton Vale Primary School, Millbrook Primary School and St Raphael’s Catholic Primary School.

Anthony Leach, who lives in the area, said the smell of smoke was “in every room”.

He said: “It’s like you could almost smoke mackerel in there.”

Firefighters from Cheshire and Derbyshire have been supporting those from Greater Manchester.

Public Health England has released a warning to any people who may have been affected by smoke and residents have been recommended to close their windows and doors with some streets covered in ash.

Asthmatics were advised to stay inside their homes and people were warned to also keep pets indoors.

“Fire crews have been working in tremendously difficult conditions, in the heat and the smoke,” Leon Parkes, assistant chief fire officer for GMFRS, said at a press conference.

“We’ve been working with our partner agencies to deal with the situation. The situation is evolving and last night the decision was made to pull a multi-agency meeting and declare a major incident on the basis that there was partner agency working required.

“A number of actions were put in place, including the evacuation of some nearby houses, because of the spread of the fire.”

He added that some of the fire scenes were two miles away from where fire engines could park and other vehicles were being used to get firefighters and kit into those areas.

Firefighter Ricky Case, who has been out on the moors working to tackle the fire, said: “It’s just the sheer vastness of it. It’s one of the biggest ones I’ve been on in a long time. The logistics of it all, trying to get water to the locations where we need it.”

Reverend Chris Finney has opened the doors of his church, St James in Millbrook, to anyone who requires support.

He said: “I’m about a mile away from Calico Crescent [where homes have been evacuated]. I’ve lived in this area all my life and I think I can say that within my memory – and I’m in my sixties – I’ve not seen fires on the moors to the extent that we’re looking at them at the moment.”

Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester’s mayor, paid tribute to the firefighters.

The force said anyone who is in need of a safe place to stay should contact Tameside Council.

Additional reporting by Press Association