Saddleworth Moor fires could take 'weeks' to extinguish

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Soldiers look set to continue to assist firefighters battling the Saddleworth Moors fires until the weekend.

Approximately 100 troops from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, were sent from their barracks in Catterick, North Yorkshire, overnight.

The blaze is currently under control, but could flare up at any time, the fire service have said.

Certainly people across the Oldham area will have noticed that the smoke cloud cover has decreased significantly today (Thursday), but work will continue on the blazes spanning Saddleworth Moor, which have spread across seven square miles, in six different areas.

Soldiers have joined more than 100 firefighters to support the effort by managing water lines and assisting in fire beating on moorland above Stalybridge.

Shops and local residents have teamed up to help keep emergency service staff fed and watered.

The fires, which started on Sunday evening, could eventually take weeks to extinguish.

Speaking on behalf of the soldiers, Major Phil Morgan, commanding officer, said: "We're beating the fire with paddles and moving equipment, putting water on the fire.

"It looks like we'll be here for another 48 hours then we'll wait for another request."

A Chinook helicopter was due to fly out of RAF Odiham, Hampshire, to move water-pumping equipment but Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) notified the Ministry of Defence it was "no longer required".

The helicopter is on standby and is still "available as a resource if we need it", GMFRS said.

Tony Hunter, GMFRS assistant chief fire officer, said there have been "significant improvements" but added an "air of caution as we thought we had a similar situation yesterday".

He said: The fire is contained at the moment, but we only need a change of wind direction to see the fire increase.

“We are working hard to keep on top of the blaze."

An investigation is set to be launched into the fire, but Mr Hunter said: "We can see this being prolonged for days if not weeks, particularly with the fact that the wind has drawn the fires towards the residential, but actually away from the centre of the moor."

He said what was needed most was "a significant downpour of rain" - but none has been forecast.

Meanwhile, take a look at our timelapse video showing how the devastating fires progressed during day three of this huge incident on Tuesday (see below).