Police investigate weekend wildfires on Lancashire's moorland

Last night (Sunday, March 27), crews were called to a blaze which had broken out on the moors off Rochdale Road in Bacup.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said three fire engines and two Hagglund all-terrain units were called to the scene at around 9.27pm.

The cause of the blazes, which covered around 50,000 square metres of moorland, are believed to be suspicious and were reported to police.

The burn team from Bacup used beaters and blowers to tackle two seats of fire, whilst drones were used to check for any further hot spots.

Crews returned to the scene this morning to make sure the fire had not reignited overnight, but the no flare-ups were found.

Lancashire Police said the cause of the wildfires are under investigation.

Watch manager for Bacup station, Chris Howarth said: "It's a drain on the fire service resources when we are called out to deal with deliberate fires.

"We could be at a house fire, a medical emergency or a road traffic collision where we could be helping on life-saving incidents."

On Sunday, Pennine Community Protection Manager for the fire service, Liam Wilson, added: “We have attended several wildfire incidents this weekend, with one still ongoing in Rossendale.

"Our burn team and Hagglund crew are undertaking night firefighting ops. Drone is also being used to identify hot spots.

"The cause is now under joint investigation with Lancashire Police.”

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