More than 2,000 acres were threatened at Ennerdale Water

More than 2,000 acres of woodland in the Lake District national Park in west Cumbria, was threatened by the fire, which started on Saturday.

The blaze, at Ennerdale Water near Whitehaven, did destroy about 120 acres close to the lake.

But it was only after Forestry Commission officials agreed to pay for a helicopter that the fire was eventually brought under control.

The fire broke out at 1100 BST on Saturday and is thought to have been caused by a discarded cigarette.

National park officials have warned that the area is tinder-dry because of a lack of rain.

A privately-owned helicopter from Cambridgeshire was drafted in to help tackle the fire.

It used a water scoop to douse flames.

Dave Edgar of the Cumbria Fire Service said the helicopter saved 40 years of Forestry Commission work.

He said: "It would have taken us much longer to get the fire under control if we had not had the helicopter to help.

"It used water from the lake to douse the flames and saved a lot of work which has been done here by the Forestry Commission."