Questions asked after grass fire sparks alert
A local man helps put out the fire.
A grass fire in Diggle today prompted frantic 999 calls from worried members of the public but they got told it was a controlled burning by a local land owner.
Smoke was seen to be covering most of Diggle and the surrounding area from this morning into the afternoon.
A fire appliance was sent and parked up half a mile from the fire just in case it was required. But it took no action.
Saddleworth News spoke to a local farmer and his concerned employees who called the fire service, as they knew nothing of the grass burning plans.
They were concerned it was spreading to their land.
Saddleworth News witnessed the blaze spreading out of control and watched as one local resident was beating the fires out on his land by himself. It soon spread up to Harrop Edge and into nearby fields and public paths.
We were told by Greater Manchester Fire Service that the fire engine was on standby in case it was required, but that the blaze was a controlled burn and was under control.
Members of the public though questioned why the fire service had responded to their emergency calls by telling them it was a controlled burn and all was well.
One worried dog walker said: “I have made two 999 calls as the fire is spreading, they just keep saying it’s a controlled burn and its under control, yet I’m getting surrounded by flames.
“They are taking the word of whoever has started this fire this morning, rather than mine and I’m here next to it.
“I walk my dog on this path every day, and now I’m choking from the smoke. The flames are on the path itself and going into other fields.
“And why is there a gentleman having to beat the fire out on his own land by himself?”
The fire did eventually go out around tea time but people are confused about why the fire was allowed to burn, apparently without sufficient safety measures in place.
They are also asking why the fire service did not turn up to help despite getting numerous calls.
A Spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “We received 77 calls from members of the public about a fire on farm land in Saddleworth.
Between 8.43am and 10.27am the following morning, professional firefighters attended the scene on seven occasions.
They spoke to the person doing the burning and gave them advice. Each time they attended the scene, they assessed the situation and deemed it to be legal controlled burning within the Heather and Grass Burning Code 2007. At no time did the crews consider the fire to be out of control.”
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- A local man helps put out the fire.
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- A local resident calls the fire service.
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- The fire raging through the fields.
A local resident calls the fire service.
Author: Jude Gidney - Editor
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So glad you have covered this! We were very concerned as we could see the smoke from our house. Nice to see that Saddleworth News is getting to all the local area stories again. Brilliant!
Controlled burning on moorland usually and lawfully takes place between 1st October and 15th April on the uplands and between 1st November and 31st March elsewhere in any year. This is done in the main to clear old vegetation, especially heather, and to promote young shoots of vegetation which are beneficial to wildlife and game. Those who intend carrying out controlled burning (should) notify the appropriate Fire Service and perhaps that’s why the Fire Service didn’t attend in this case, i.e. because they were already informed of it being a controlled burn – although whoever reports such a fire to the Fire Service should really be informed of that so as to allay concern and indeed just out of politeness!
On the moors especially, it is normal to see considerable sized areas of burning although these should be kept within manageable limits of those who are carrying out the burn. Quite often the public will be alarmed but the fires are managed so as to burn the surface vegetation but not so deep as to damage the seeds and shoots below which are then stimulated to grow.
Any burning after the 15th April on the uplands would need special permission as after this time there is a great chance of harming ground nesting birds, lambs, etc.
Having said this the public should never assume ANY fire is a controlled burn but should always notify the Fire Service. Hope all this helps.
We were taking our dogs a walk, when we came upon this fire, smoke everywhere there were actually small fires near the puplic footpath on Harrop Edge. My husband phoned the Fire Service and he got told it was a controlled burning by a farmer. With the ground being so dry and grass fires that have been breaking out it didn’t seem like a controlled burning to us.
A very sensible response Geoff. Burning of the moorland is essential to it’s upkeep, as Geoff explained, however the lines of communication could obviously be improved.