Brigade plea over grass fires

FIREFIGHTERS are appealing to people not to start grass fires following a spate of incidents yesterday.

Crews from Mossley tackled three separate incidents across the Saddleworth area, some of which they believe were started on purpose.

At 4.30pm, crews were called to Arthurs Lane, Greenfield, and spent an hour tackling a deep-seated grass fire along the bridleway.

Officers discovered three different seats of fire and believe the blaze was started deliberately.

At 6pm, crews from Mossley and Stalybridge were called to Binn Green above Dovestone reservoir to tackle a fire involving a large area of grassland.

A total of 10 firefighters spent an hour using hose reels to extinguish the blaze, which was started on a steep bank.

Officers from Mossley were then called out at 8pm to a small grass fire covering 100 square yards along the bridle path next to Uppermill Sports Centre in Station Road.

They spent 40 minutes extinguishing the blaze with beaters.

Russ Winterbottom, a firefighter based at Mossley, said grass fires were often in remote areas which could prove difficult for crews to reach.

He said: “It’s not just the grass we have to extinguish, the fire can burn through and set the peat underneath alight.

“A fire which should take 10 minutes to put out could take two or three hours.

“It also diverts a lot of man power and equipment which could be used elsewhere.

“Unfortunately, I think we will see more grass fires as we go into summer but I would urge young people not to start them.”