Firefighters prevent Yorkshire moorland wildfire 'catastrophe' after barbecue starts blaze

Firefighters and gamekeepers were at the forefront of tackling the fire on Bamford Moor in Derbyshire’s Peak District yesterday evening.

The fire took hold near the Bamford Edge rock formation on the moor and there were fears that many walkers who had flocked to the area could have be trapped if it was not brought under control quickly.

Fire crews were called to the incident at Bamford Moor at 4.10pm and eyewitnesses claimed the fire had been caused by a barbeque.

Local gamekeepers using their own specialist firefighting equipment tackled the blaze until 10 fire engines from the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service arrived.

Simon Gurney, Peak District board member of the Moorland Association, said: “Yet again, a disaster has been averted thanks to the efforts of gamekeepers and land managers who are there round the clock to tackle this kind of outbreak."

Paul Smith, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service station manager said firefighting crews were withdrawn at 9.30pm before returning again this morning.

He said: "Unfortunately, in addition to dealing with the incident, we’ve also had to deal with numerous people coming to see the fire.