Crews continue work at Rakes Moss moorland fire

Firefighters have been working for a sixth day on the moorland fire on Rakes Moss, which has been burning since last Thursday (April 23).

A fire investigation into the cause of the blaze, off the A628 between Crowden and Glossop, is ongoing. 

Returning to the moorland early this morning (Tuesday), throughout the day crews from Derbyshire have continued to work with firefighters from Greater Manchester, Peak Park Rangers, land owners United Utilities and the RSPB to extinguish the fire, prevent any further fire spread and protect the ecosystem and wildlife on the moors.

Speaking from the moorland, Station Manager Marc Redford said: “Over the last few days crews have had to work in extremely hot, dry and challenging conditions, fighting a fire that is deep seated in the peat of the moorland.

“Today that firefighting continues. We are hopeful that tomorrow we will get some rain that will help and support our firefighting operations and allow us to scale the incident back, at which point we could look at handing the moorland back into the hands of landowners United Utilities and Peak Park Rangers.”

Firefighters have once again been supported by the Salvation Army, who have provided food and drinks to everyone working on the moorland.

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service would like to remind people of current government Covid-19 advice to stay at home, to save lives and protect the NHS.

Station Manager Colin Winterbottom said on Monday: “While we have had firefighters working on the moors and responding to other emergencies across the county, we continue to support the community response to covid-19, delivering vital medication to vulnerable members of our community and supporting our colleagues from EMAS.

“Moorland fires require a huge response and I would ask people to keep this hard work in mind when thinking of having a BBQ in the countryside, on moorland, or in green open spaces, leaving litter such as glass bottles and discarding cigarettes carelessly – all can start a fire like the one we are currently fighting.”

Image: Glossop Fire Station