‘Tossed matches’ caused Ilkley Moor blaze dealt with by over 70 firefighters

The fire, on May 18, was the one of the largest incidents West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has had to deal with since April.

At a meeting on Friday, members of the West Yorkshire Fire Authority will discuss the biggest fires in the area between April and June.

The Ilkley Moor blaze was by far the largest, requiring 10 fire engines, four support vehicles and six special vehicles.

68 firefighters and four officers dealt with the fire, which took several hours to extinguish.

A report into the fire, which goes before Friday's Authority meeting, says it was deliberate and “believed to have started due to a member of the public lighting matches and throwing them into the heath.”

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A woman was arrested shortly after the incident, but West Yorkshire Police say she has been released without charge.

There were two other fires that involved more than six fire engines in that three month period.

On April 24 crews were called to the derelict former Gallopers Pub on Wakefield Road, Bradford. At its height the blaze was being dealt with by 36 firefighters and six engines.

The report says: "Strong wind caused rapid fire growth. The cause of this fire is thought to have been deliberate."

West Yorkshire Police were asked last Thursday if there had been any arrests over the fire, but have yet to respond.

Permission to demolish the pub had been granted shortly before the fire, and the aftermath of the incident delayed the demolition work by several days.

A fire in a building on Square Road, Halifax, on May 29 required 42 firefighters and six engined to bring it under control.

The report says: "The cause of the fire was thought to be accidental.

"The fire started on the third floor in or around the sauna. With the information gathered the most likely cause of fire is the sauna and the wooden sauna enclosure serving as the material for fire development."