The fire is thought to have been caused by a discarded cigarette

Fire crews at the scene on Fylingdales Moor say the fire, which has been burning for more than 24 hours, is escalating.

It is now on four fronts, each about a mile long, with strong winds spreading the flames towards Ravenscar.

Some nearby homes have been evacuated and a section of the A171 Scarborough to Whitby coastal road was closed for most of Thursday.

The North Yorkshire Fire Service has moved in heavy moving equipment to create breaks in the fire to stop it spreading further.

Appliances from neighbouring Cleveland have been brought in to help tackle the fire.

I urge visitors to the North Yorkshire Moors and the Yorkshire Dales to take particular care when visiting these beautiful areas Divisional Officer Ian Bitcon

Assistant Chief Officer Chris Anderson said: "I strongly recommend that people stay away from the area.

"As we have already seen, the fire can spread very rapidly and may catch the unwary off guard.

"So far nobody has been injured at this incident and we would prefer to keep it that way.

"Consideration should be given regarding whether any car journey along the A171 is absolutely necessary; if it isn't, don't make the journey."

Discarded cigarette

He added that a significant area of the Cleveland Way, popular with walkers, was affected, and that walkers should stay away from the area between Ravenscar in the south up to Boggle Hole in the north.

The fire was reported on Wednesday afternoon and covers more than four square miles.

Divisional Officer Ian Bitcon said early indications pointed to a carelessly discarded cigarette as the cause.

He said: "I urge visitors to the North Yorkshire Moors and the Yorkshire Dales to take particular care when visiting these beautiful areas."

Firefighters are planning to tackle the fire throughout the night but will scale down their operations for safety reasons.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Fire Brigade said four appliances were sent to the danger zone.

She said at least two would be remaining with their North Yorkshire colleagues overnight.