Moorland fire was 'size of 325 football pitches'

Firefighters have described a wildfire that ripped through moorland as "roughly the size of 325 football pitches".

The blaze left a blackened, smoky landscape after burning through trees and grassland near the Errwood Reservoir in the Goyt Valley, Derbyshire, at 11:42 BST on Wednesday.

Ten fire engines from Derbyshire and Cheshire were sent to the scene, known as the Cat and Fiddle, but at 21:45 all but one of the crews were withdrawn due to failing light.

A reinspection on Thursday prompted the return of eight crews with support vehicles, assisted by a water drop helicopter.

Crews from Buxton, Glossop, Crich on-call and wholetime crews from Matlock - as well as four crews from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service - attended, assisted by two Argocats - a type of all-terrain vehicle - and the command support unit.

Support was also being provided by United Utilities, Derby Mountain Rescue Team and Peak District National Park rangers.

Firefighters used beaters, water backpacks and fogging units to tackle the fire.

Jess Coatesworth, from the Peak District Fire Operations Group, said there was no indication of a cause yet but repeated calls to avoid lighting any sort of fire or leaving litter.

"The fires are hugely damaging," she added.

"There is lots of wildlife [and] birds nesting on the ground at the moment, but this is also next to a reservoir of drinking water, so it's a big job to clean that."

At one point flames threatened the Cat and Fiddle distillery, with crews dampening down buildings and putting water dams in the car park.

Melanie Selstrom, who works there, said: "We are all a bit shellshocked after the events of yesterday.

"It has sunk in overnight - the gravity of what happened - as yesterday was a whirlwind of adrenaline.

"At first it didn't look too threatening at all, and to begin with we had two fire crews, then there were five, then 10.

"It just escalated to the point we were looking at the flames and the heat haze and it was getting ever closer."

The Cat and Fiddle A54 is currently open, however, a road known locally as Derbyshire Bridge - between the Cat and Fiddle to Errwood Reservoir - is closed, the fire service said.

On Wednesday, smoke could be seen from miles away and affected local roads and reached the centre of Buxton.

People nearby are being told to keep doors and windows closed.

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