Heatwave fire spree 'busiest in boss's 26-year career'

Fire chiefs in Greater Manchester have said the service is experiencing its busiest period in decades - as a series of serious blazes broke out at the peak of the recent UK heatwave.

Crews were already dealing with a large wildfire near Oldham on Wednesday when a semi-detached house also went up in flames in south Manchester the next day.

A raft of fires across the country, including devastating blazes in the West Midlands, later prompted the government to issue a temporary ban on disposable barbecues.

Greater Manchester's Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel thanked crews for their work in an "exceptionally busy period" while his deputy Jim Willmott said firefighters had received 1,200 calls on Thursday.

Willmott told BBC Radio Manchester: "Yesterday I was in the fire control room for North West Fire Control - it really was the most incredibly busy period I have ever seen in my 26 years of service."

Earlier in the month crews stood down from wildfires on two stretches of moorland near Dove Stone Reservoir and at Tintwistle and Swineshore.

The fire chief said a lot of the recent incidents were "very reminiscent of the prolonged wildfires of 2018 and some we saw in 2022".

On Thursday the control room dealt with 1,200 calls logged as 360 incidents, from wildfires to road accidents, he said.

He said the Saddleworth Moor fire near Holmfirth Road was now well under control but firefighters would stay there over the weekend.

Willmott also welcomed the temporary ban on disposable barbecues.

He said the kits are "a recipe for wildfires" as they are designed to stay very hot, even with liquid inside.

Willmott added: "Over the years I have been to so many moorland fires and wildfires caused by disposable barbecues. Anything that reduces that has to be good."

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