Meltham Moor blaze: Disposable BBQ found at site of large Yorkshire wildfire

The blaze at Meltham Moor broke out on Tuesday and has taken dozens of firefighters three days to get under control.

As rangers reveal the cause is believed to have been a disposable barbecue, crews from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) call on the public to leave such lit fires at home.

Lead wildfire officer, Richard Hawley, said with the heatwave ongoing, and with grasses tinderbox dry, it is just too dangerous.

"This wildfire has been extremely difficult to control due to the large quantity of fuel, fire supportive weather and challenging terrain," he said. "The crews have worked so hard – we’ve had around 50 firefighters up there – it’s been a tough job,” he added.

"Moorland fires always require a big resource, which means firefighters and fire engines are taken away from their local station area. We can manage this thanks to careful coordination from our brilliant control room operators, but it’s not an ideal situation for anyone across West Yorkshire."

Dozens of firefighters have been tackling the fire, supported by local land managers and rangers. It took five fire engines, five wildfire units, and three all-terrain trucks.

Moorland fires in particular can spread quickly, and flare up again as they are "deep seated" in the peat, meaning that even if the flames are extinguished the heat remains underneath.

This blaze was made more difficult, said Mr Hawley, as it was miles away from the nearest water source, meaning crews had to run kilometres of hose in full protective gear. Now he has confirmed a disposable barbecue was found at the seat of the fire.

“We really want people to enjoy our beautiful countryside, but we are reminding people not to ever take barbecues onto our moorland," he said.“It’s not worth it.”