Saddleworth Moor fire: Scores of soldiers and two chinook helicopters drafted in to tackle blaze

'Fire crews have been working in tremendously difficult conditions, in the heat and the smoke'

Around 100 soldiers and an RAF Chinook helicopter have been deployed to help tackle a vast moorland blaze that has raged for days.

The troops from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, were being sent overnight to join firefighters across Tameside, on the edge of Saddleworth Moor.

Some 55 firefighters were still trying to quell multiple pockets of flames spanning up to five miles.

The soldiers were heading from their barracks in Catterick and will operate out of an Army training centre to control the fire by managing water lines and fire beating, among other means of support.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said it is a display of British troops protecting the UK "no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the problem".

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.

About 55 firefighters and specialist officers were continuing to tackle multiple pockets of fire/

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) group manager Dean Nankivell said "great progress" had been made throughout the day.

Problems faced by the crews included frequent changes in wind direction, the peat-embedded terrain which requires large quantities of water to extinguish flames and the searing temperatures.

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.”