Warning after moorland fires

Warning after moorland fires

Nine crews were tackling the fire in Belmont on Wednesday

Fire crews from two counties are still dealing with the aftermath of a large moorland fire.

Nine crews from Greater Manchester and Lancashire were at the scene of the fire in Belmont, near Rivington, Lancashire.

At its peak, on Tuesday evening, there were more than 100 firefighters at the scene.

It is one of thousands of grass fires dealt with since the weekend.

Ian Bailey, from Greater Manchester Fire Service, said: "Most of these fires wouldn't start if they weren't started deliberately.

'Out of control'

"The weather is something of a contribution because minor fires are spreading out of control.

"But our plea to the children who are off school and playing with matches is to be mindful of their actions - because these fires are quickly spreading."

Crews were damping down moorland fires at White Coppice in Chorley on Wednesday morning.

A fire at Cliviger near Burnley on Monday night affected about 200 acres of land and took 12 hours to bring under control.

At the Forest of Bowland, public access areas have been closed because of fires over the last few days.