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People told to leave moors as two more fires start

Chloe Aslett,
Alex Moss,Yorkshireand
Tom Ingall,on Marsden Moor

Firefighters are continuing to tackle a moorland fire after a separate blaze that burned for two days was extinguished.

West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue said eight crews were still at the scene of the ongoing fire at Blackstone Edge on Marsden Moor.

A spokesperson said a fire in the Marsden Clough area, which broke out earlier, had been resolved, but people were still being asked to stay away from the moor.

On Tuesday firefighters were called to deal with fires at Deer Hill and Five Mile Post, near Huddersfield. Both were declared over at about 16:00 GMT on Wednesday, with a final inspection due to be carried out on Thursday to "confirm conditions remain stable", a spokesperson said.

Chris Bell, assistant district commander for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said of the initial incident: "It covered a massive area and has had a huge impact on the local community, wildlife and our resources."

Although the ground underneath was wet, the dry grass on top meant the fire had taken hold quickly, Bell explained.

However, he added that fire crews had managed to stop it spreading to the Greater Manchester area.

A man with short brow hair looking ahead. He is wearing a black top with a light grey jacket on top. In the background is a red van with 'Fire' written on the front and a red and yellow 4x4 vehicle.
Assistant district commander Chris Bell said crews would be on site for the rest of the day

The blaze had prompted at least 70 calls to fire service, Bell said, and he asked people to continue avoiding the affected area while firefighting efforts continued.

However, Bell added: "Actually it's more than that. When people do come to a moorland site, just remember there should be no open fires.

"We shouldn't be having any barbecues and people should be really careful with any naked flames and cigarettes, because they can spread rapidly and impact everybody."

Tom Ingall/BBC A wire fence and fencepost stand in front of charred black moorland with blue sky aboveTom Ingall/BBC
Fire crews have been on the scene since Tuesday tackling the blaze

Marsden Moor has been affected by several fires in recent years.

In March, crews from Huddersfield, Slaithwaite and Holmfirth tackled a wildfire on the moor which stretched across more than 1,300 sq ft (400 sq m).

Last year, emergency crews were called to an area close to Cupwith Reservoir which was on fire.

In May 2024, emergency services attended a 1,000ft (300m) long wildfire which started at Blakeley reservoir.

Gazz Hall An aerial view showing a large expanse of moorland with smoke rising from the ground and orange flames around a section of blackened landGazz Hall
Fire engines and specialist wildfire units are on scene

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