Crews at scene of wildfire were 'asked for lighter'

Firefighters said they were "shocked" after being asked for a lighter near the scene of a wildfire that damaged a large area of moorland.

Crews from Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester attended the fire, which broke out at Snake Pass Summit on 30 April.

The blaze, which affected 900,000 sq m (9.69m sq ft) of land, took five days to bring under control.

Crew members from Glossop Fire Station visited the scene on Wednesday as the scene was returned to the National Trust, when they said they were asked if they had a lighter or match by a member of the public as "they were going camping and wanted a fire".

A spokesperson for the station said the team were shocked to be asked and said the individual was educated on wildfires and what crews had been dealing with.

They added: "Wildfires not only destroy our beautiful countryside, they destroy vital habitat for our wildlife.

"They are labour intensive and take vital emergency services away from being available to respond to other emergencies."

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said there was a "significant smoke plume" at the height of the fire, adding about 340 hectares of moorland had been affected overall.

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