Idiots having a barbecue cause yet another huge moorland fire

A fire service has slammed the ‘irresponsible’ and ‘thoughtless’ people who caused a huge moorland fire with a disposable barbecue. 

The Oldham Fire Team were called out late last night (July 18th) to reports of a fire caused by a disposable barbecue in Oldham moorland. 

And while the fire was brought under control, the crew has since shared images of the devastation onto social media to warn of the dangers such barbecues can pose, especially during extreme weather. 

They wrote on Twitter: “Crews from Oldham were out again last night dealing with a fire in moorland caused by a disposable BBQ.

“Fortunately our crews were able to bring the fire under control by this morning. Having a BBQ (or any fire) on the moors is thoughtless & irresponsible in this extreme weather.”

The Area Manager at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Paul Fearnhead, has since asked people to be responsible on vulnerable moorland in the hot weather.

Read More: Yesterday was the hottest day on record in Greater Manchester

He said: “These images show what our crews are facing daily, please act responsibly to lower the risk to our open spaces and moorlands.”

Oldham Council also slammed those responsible for the fire, saying in a statement: “Firefighters are facing this daily, please act responsibly to lower the risk to our open spaces and moorlands. If you do spot a wildfire, get to a safe place, call 999 and ask for the Fire Service.”

The fire took place as areas of Greater Manchester experienced their hottest temperatures on record, with the Met Office reporting highs of over 35C.

Rochdale’s station recorded a temperature high of 34.3C, beating the previous record of 33.9C from July 25th, 2019.

And over in Rostherne the temperature was even hotter, with a record high of 35C being recorded. 

The University of Manchester also recorded temperatures slightly above 35C at the Whitworth Observatory yesterday.