TEN fire crews have been scrambled to a moorland fire that has broken out this afternoon in the Pennines.

The crews have been called to the blaze near the town of Slaithwaite in the Colne Valley in rural Kirklees.

The blaze, reported at 12.38pm, has broken out near Coal Gate in the town, with specialist wildfire units also in attendance to try and bring the fire under control.

Firefighters from across West Yorkshire, including from Odsal and Illingworth stations, are on the scene battling the blaze.

The fire brings back haunting memories of huge moorland fires which have afflicted West Yorkshire over the past couple of years.

In 2021, a wall of flames a mile long developed after a fire broke out on Marsden Moor, while in March 2020, a 20,000sq m patch of moorland near Ogden Reservoir went up in flames.

In an update at 3.13pm, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said they were now damping down at the fire, which appears to have been contained and fought successfully without getting out of control.

Fire engines and the specialist wildfire crews from Slaithwaite and Todmorden remain on scene.

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Crews from the following stations were called to the scene:

 

  • Slaithwaite Fire Station
  • Holmfirth Fire Station
  • Todmorden Fire Station
  • Huddersfield Fire Station
  • Meltham Fire Station
  • Halifax Fire Station
  • Skelmanthorpe Fire Station
  • Illingworth Fire Station
  • Mirfield Fire Station
  • Featherstone Fire Station
  • Morley Fire Station
  • Odsal Fire Station
  • Dewsbury Fire Station