Firefighters look at new tactics to tackle wildfires

An area the size of 325 football pitches was destroyed by fire in the Goyt Valley

Firefighters have received extra training to help them locate and tackle wildfires in the Peak District.

Personnel from the six fire services that cover the national park have worked with rangers and landowners as part of efforts to reduce the number and severity of fires.

A wildfire that started in the Goyt Valley, near Buxton in April, devastated an area the size of 325 football pitches, seriously impacting on wildlife.

There are fears climate change and more dry, hot summers like that experienced this year could lead to more wildfires in hard-to-reach areas.

Jess Coatesworth, from the Peak District National Park, believes the risk of wildfires is increasing

The Peak District National Park attracts millions of visitors each year from some of the UK's biggest cities. It is popular with hikers and cyclists keen to get away from the hustle and bustle and get closer to nature.

But the area's remote and rural nature means tackling wildfires creates challenges for firefighters, who often struggle to access and tackle such fires.

"There's much less water around to deal with them," said Jess Coatesworth, from the national park, who chairs the Fire Operations Group.

"Things are just drying out so much more, so the whole vegetation is more flammable.

"It's hotter and much harder on the people fighting the fires."

Mark King said tackling moorland fires could be challenging

Mark King, a station manager at Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service, was among those who attended a training course at a hotel near Buxton.

The course included field trips to moorland to look at how techniques to tackle wildfires might be improved.

"These training days are very important, they allow us to share knowledge and learn from each other," he said.

"They can develop people's skills and tactics. The landscape has changed with drier summers and drier winters, and we need to adapt accordingly," he added.

Such tactics could include a greater use of firebreaks and encouraging landowners to remove vegetation which present a fire risk.