What sort of brainless idiot throws a fag end down in the grass on the hottest day of the year?”

More than 100 firefighters have been tackling the blaze, east of Manchester, and yesterday 60 soldiers from the Royal Regiment of Scotland arrived to help. The troops from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, on Thursday joined more than 100 firefighters who have been working rolling 12-hour shifts to tackle the seven square miles of Saddleworth Moor, smouldering with pockets of fire since Sunday. Some 55 firefighters were still trying to quell multiple pockets of flames spanning up to 3.7 miles (6km) on Wednesday night. “They are proving once again that Britain can always depend on our troops to protect us no matter the time, no matter the place, and no matter the problem.” Daily Star Online yesterday revealed the blaze could destroy any hope of finding the final resting place of one of the Moors Murders victims. Ten fire engines and 50 firefighters were working overnight to contain the blaze, some walking several miles with heavy equipment, said Leon Parkes, the assistant chief fire officer with Greater Manchester fire and rescue service. “So as a result we can see this being prolonged for days if not weeks.” He said that, currently, wind is drawing the fire away from the centre of the moorland but added: “We only need a change in the wind direction to blow it back into the centre of the moor to a greater source of fuel [and] we could see a dramatic change.” He said for rain to dampen the conditions it would need to be a “significant downpour” because it is so dry after days of scorching weather across the UK. The blaze had been brought under control having started on Sunday, but it reignited the next day and has continued in one of the worst moorland fires to hit the region. It said: “If people need to be outdoors, they are advised to avoid areas affected by any smoke or ash, or to limit the time that they spend in them.”



Huge plumes of smoke stretching along moorland could be seen in pictures and footage from near the scenes. On Monday, the fire had pretty much gone out but then it reignited in these hot temperatures.”



All residents evacuated on Tuesday night found beds with friends and family, he said. Right now support is being given from @CheshireFire and @DerbyshireFRS #Moorlandfires

Public Health England’s north-west office advised motorists who had to travel through the smoke to keep their windows closed, turn off their air conditioning and keep their air vents closed. Hugh Coe, professor of atmospheric composition at the University of Manchester, said plume peak concentrations were “very high” and air quality close to the fire was “very poor”.
Greater Manchester Police declares a major incident as a wildfire continues to spread on Saddleworth Moor, forcing nearby homes to be evacuated. The fire is described as the "biggest in living memory" in the United Kingdom. Army assistance is granted to tackle the blaze.