Fire Service Minister Nick Hurd MP praises the "tireless efforts" of Lancashire and Greater Manchester firefighters in tackling the Winter Hill and Saddleworth Moor fires

In a visit to Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s (LFRS) training centre in Euxton on Tuesday, Minister Nick Hurd MP said: “The tireless efforts of firefighters in Greater Manchester and Lancashire and their partners to contain wildfires over the last month have been astounding.

“The Saddleworth Moor and Winter Hill fires were some of the most severe in living memory, and I’m grateful to our firefighters for tackling these fires so effectively and ensuring no one was hurt.”

In his visit to the centre Mr Hurd viewed equipment used to fight the blazes – including a drone, various off-road vehicles, and one of the High Volume Pumps used to provide essential water supplies to extinguish the fires and stop them spreading.

Chris Kenny, Chief Fire Officer at LFRS, said: “Despite the devastation this moorland fire has caused, the way in which all those involved pulled together is something of which Lancashire can be rightfully proud.”

The Minister also visited Saddleworth Moor yesterday, accompanied by Greater Manchester FRS Interim Chief Fire Officer, Dawn Docx, and met operational managers and firefighters from local crews, who explained how they tackled the blaze

Dawn Docx, Interim Chief Fire Officer at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said: "The moorland fires we’ve experienced this summer have been one of the busiest periods in Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s history.

"I’m pleased the Fire Minster has visited the scene of the Tameside fires and met with firefighters and officers to get a small flavour of the incredible work our crews put in and the challenges they faced."