Blaze damages part of moorland

The Softrak is new to Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service's vehicle fleet

A severe fire has damaged part of a moorland in Lancashire.

Fifty firefighters from eight stations, including Greater Manchester, were called to the tackled the fire at White Coppice, near Chorley, on Tuesday.

An area of moorland totalling two sq km (494 acres) was engulfed by the blaze, which took four hours to put out.

The cause is not known but fire crews are urging people to be vigilant for broken glass which could cause fires on hot days and to not discard cigarettes.

Chorley fire station's watch manager Keith Armstrong said the fire would have taken a lot longer to extinguish had the firefighters not had access to the service's new 'Softrak' all-terrain tractor fire engine.

The vehicle, which became part of the service's fleet just two months ago, carries 1,000 litres of water in high pressured hoses and can access off-road sites because of its caterpillar wheels.