Marsden Moor arson inquiry after widespread fires

Two moorland blazes in West Yorkshire are being treated as arson, the fire service has said.

Ten crews were called to the fires on Marsden Moor on 20 April.

The "vast" blazes at Old Mount Road and Wessenden Road devastated large areas of moorland, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) said.

Richard Hawley from the fire service said: "We are working to identify the people responsible for these horrific fires and bring them to justice."

The first fire at Old Mount Road, which was extinguished at around 18:20 BST, covered an area of 0.9 miles (1.5km) by 0.3 miles (500m).

The second blaze, near Wessenden Lodge, started less than an hour later and spread across an area of around 0.3 sq miles (1km sq), the fire service said.

Mr Hawley, lead wildfire officer for WYFRS, said: "We know that these recent fires on Marsden Moor were started deliberately.

"Purposely starting a wildfire can be devastating to the environment and wildlife, and could ultimately put people's lives at risk."

Supt Helen Brear of West Yorkshire Police said the actions of "the person or persons responsible for starting the fires were nothing short of dangerous".

"The fire caused damage to wildlife and the environment, and a major operation was required by fire service colleagues in order to extinguish the blaze."

Marsden Moor is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, famous for its rare ground-nesting birds and blanket peat bogs, according to the National Trust, which owns the site.

Kate Divey-Matthews, from the National Trust at Marsden Moor, said: "Moorland fires like this cause huge damage to this precious landscape.

"It's a really crucial time for our ground-nesting bird population, and we've found burnt nests and eggs during our search of the site."

West Yorkshire Police has appealed for anyone with information about the fires to come forward.

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