logo
'Heartbreaking' images show aftermath of moorland fire in Derbyshire

'Heartbreaking' images show aftermath of moorland fire in Derbyshire

BBC News02-05-2025
Firefighters have released "heartbreaking" images of the aftermath of a huge wildfire that ripped through moorland in the Peak District.The pictures, taken by Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS), show the scorched and smoking landscape around Errwood Reservoir in the Goyt Valley.The fire service said the blaze, which began on Wednesday morning, engulfed an area "roughly the size of 325 football pitches".It said the fire had caused "devastation" to moorland wildlife.
The fire service said the fire had killed many birds and mammals and destroyed habitats.On Friday, firefighters remained to dampen down and check for any hotspots.Crews from Buxton, Glossop, Crich on-call and wholetime crews from Matlock - as well as four crews from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service - attended, assisted by two Argocats - a type of all-terrain vehicle - and the command support unit.
Support was also being provided by United Utilities, Derby Mountain Rescue Team and Peak District National Park rangers.Firefighters used beaters, water backpacks and fogging units to tackle the fire."Late last night, firefighters withdrew from the moors, as is normal practice for their safety, with one crew remaining overnight to monitor the scene," a spokesperson said.
The Peak District Moorland Group also shared footage of gamekeepers in the "energy-sapping" efforts to contain and extinguish the fire.Firefighters used beaters, water backpacks and fogging units to tackle the fire.People living in the area were urged to keep doors and windows closed.
The fire service thanked organisations who helped tackle the fire, including United Utilities, Derby Mountain Rescue, the Peak District National Park Authority, and local gamekeepers and farmers.They also thanked Salvation Army volunteers, who provided food and water for crews.The fire service said no cause of the fire has yet been established - but urged people visiting the Peak District over the bank holiday weekend to "act responsibly" and report any fires they see.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Major £5.5m investment to help improve river's water quality
Major £5.5m investment to help improve river's water quality

BBC News

time3 days ago

  • BBC News

Major £5.5m investment to help improve river's water quality

A new underground storage tunnel is being built to reduce storm overflows and improve water quality at Wrongway Brook, a tributary of the River Ribble in Utilities (UU) said the £5.5m project will hold more than 2,000,000 litres (440,000 gallons) – the equivalent of around 26,000 bath tubs of company said the work will take place between the railway line and playing fields in Kirkham, avoiding any disruption to local traffic, adding that the upgrade should be finished by summer scheme is part of a wider £94.5m investment into 12 projects across Fylde and Wyre over the next five years, the water firm said. When complete, the storage tunnel will give Kirkham's wastewater network additional capacity during times of heavy rainfall and help to improve water quality by reducing storm-water first phase of the project will involve upgrading the sewer network with larger pipes. A 300m-long tunnel will then be constructed more than four metres below ground, to be linked to the new Holding, county business lead for wastewater services in Lancashire, said: "Wastewater from Kirkham travels through the sewer network to the pumping station at Freckleton before going on to the wastewater treatment works at Clifton Marsh, Preston. "Creating this extra capacity means that it isn't all hitting either the pumping station or the wastewater treatment works all at the same time, and the system is less likely to be overwhelmed." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.

Dried-up Runcorn park boating lake 'an embarrassment'
Dried-up Runcorn park boating lake 'an embarrassment'

BBC News

time24-07-2025

  • BBC News

Dried-up Runcorn park boating lake 'an embarrassment'

A dried-up boating lake has been described as an "eyesore" and an "embarrassment". Hundreds of residents in Runcorn are calling on Halton Council to sort out the attraction in Heaton Park. The low-level of the once thriving attraction has prompted fears for wildlife. Halton Council leader Mike Wharton said the authority was trying to "make progress as quickly as possible". Speaking on BBC Radio Merseyside's Hot Seat programme, Halton Council leader Mike Wharton said while lack of rainfall had had an effect on the water said there was a significant amount of work to be done with United Utilities and the Environment Agency to get the water levels back Arrowsmith, who runs the park's model boat club, said while there had been low water levels before there had been "nothing as bad as this"."The sides are giving in and we can't sail a boat," he said."They just hit the bottom and it scrapes the bottoms off." Council leader Wharton said the lake needed new pipes running into it, "but it's not that easy"."United Utilities have told us that we need to run a pipe from a reservoir and as we know at the moment reservoirs are running low," he added it was "brilliant" that so many people cared about the lake and the authority was working "to restore it to the way it was"."It's an embarrassment to me and that's why we want to make progress as quickly as possible."A United Utilities spokesman said: "We had a productive meeting with Halton Council and are continuing to look at how we can support them with a long term solution to refilling the lake." Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.

Why has there been a surge in water pollution?
Why has there been a surge in water pollution?

Sky News

time18-07-2025

  • Sky News

Why has there been a surge in water pollution?

Why you can trust Sky News After years of protest, promised action, and bill increases, it would be reasonable to expect the sewage scandal to have improved. In fact, it's done the complete opposite: A 60% increase in pollution incidents between 2023 and 2024. Water firms admit they're not doing well enough, but point out, correctly, that 2024 was a wet year. Wet weather means a greater likelihood of sewage spills from pipes that carry both rainfall and sewage. Environment Agency data reveals that the excuse doesn't wash. 1:56 Serious pollution incidents are up 30% since 2016. And this is the third consecutive year in which they've increased. Their latest report reaffirms what we already know: Persistent underinvestment and poor asset maintenance are why the sewage system can't cope. The share of the problem varies widely from company to company, with United Utilities and Northumbrian Water having the fewest pollution incidents. Then it's Southern, Anglian, and Thames Water, England's largest water firm, topping the pollution pop charts. There was some good-ish news. Transparency seems to be improving almost across the board, with more companies "self-reporting" pollution incidents than ever before. It's notable, however, that for the 11 most serious - Category 1 - pollution incidents in 2024, only four were reported by water companies themselves, the other seven by third parties. It's easy, of course, to blame the water companies. But the Independent Water Commission, due to report next week, is expected to call for a radical shake-up of the sector, including the possible dismantling of water regulator Ofwat. The buck, ultimately, rises higher than that before stopping. Successive governments pressured Ofwat to keep bills low, yet denied it the power to limit water company financial engineering. The resulting lack of real engineering - of our sewers and water supplies - has left a problem for which there can now be no quick or cheap fix.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store