Firefighters prevent serious incident on Ilkley Moor

Photo: Ilkley Fire Station Facebook page

Thanks to Ilkley Firefighters, what could have been a major incident on Ilkley Moor was prevented on Sunday evening, 19 June 2022.

Ilkley Fire Station reported on its Facebook page: " Around 7pm we were called to the moors for a BBQ spotted smouldering away. This was the exact spot where the large moorland fire started some years back which destroyed a large area of the moorland. You can see how small the fire appears initially, however we had to dig up a larger area as the fire had began to spread and was deep seated within the peat, reading 125 degrees on our thermal imaging camera!"

"The PSPO still remains in place and it is against the law for ANY fires or BBQS to be ignited!! The weather has been extremely hot recently and has made the moorland very dry which increases the risk of wildfire.

"Huge thankyou to the person who reported this. If it had been left undetected, this could have potentially been a lot bigger Incident"

Lighting barbecues, fireworks, campfires and Chinese lanterns on the moor remains illegal and the PSPO (Public Spaces Protection Order) is expected to be renewed in the summer for another three years.

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