MALICIOUS youths are being blamed for a wildfire on Harden Moor.

A specialist wildfire crew from Keighley as well as one pump from the town's station and back-up from Bingley Station were called out to the moor near Long Lee Road at about 8.30pm yesterday after reports of youths deliberately starting a fire.

The fire covered an area of about 60 metres square and firefighters had to trek about 600m to get to the site and tackle it with two forced air extinguishers and multiple beaters and aqua-vac packs.

Crews also had to clamber a steep embankment close to a rockface during the incident.

They left at 10.30pm and returned again at daylight today to check on a potential hot-spot, said Keighley watch commander Michael Rhodes.

He added: "There is a serious message to get out. Fires don't start themselves on moors in this country. Someone or something has to start it. In this case it was started maliciously, youths were reported by the caller.

"We went twice, one of those times to check again in daylight that it was all out but on each of those occasions there could have been a more serious job that needed our time and resources.

"The wind and the dryness of the land made it very difficult for us last night. We had to come off the moor for health and safety reasons when it got dark but had to go back up in the morning. It is now out."