Moor fire continues as smoke seen 80 miles away

A major incident was declared at Langdale Moor on Wednesday

Firefighters are tackling a major moorland wildfire for a sixth day, with smoke from the blaze visible up to 80 miles (128km) away.

Five engines remain on Langdale Moor in North Yorkshire, while a helicopter continues to drop water on the area.

North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service (NYFRS) said it expected to be at the scene for the next few days.

Fire crews in Skipton, 80 miles away, said they had been called to two separate incidents in relation to the smell of smoke, which they believed was being caused by the fire on Langdale Moor.

A spokesperson said: "If anybody is wondering about a smog or mist settling over Skipton, we believe this to be smoke from Langdale Moor that has now reached Skipton due to wind direction.

"Please keep all BBQs to designated areas or preferably on your own property as national resources are currently spread very thin."

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Firefighters were first called to the moorland near RAF Fylingdales on Monday evening, with a major incident declared on Wednesday.

At its height, 19 fire appliances were at the scene.

Steam services were suspended at the nearby North Yorkshire Moors Railway and a planned open day at Harrogate Fire Station was cancelled on Saturday because of "strain" on NYFRS.

Despite Dalby Forest Visitor Centre remaining open, Forestry England advised visitors to avoid the area due to large amounts of smoke.

On Friday, experts warned it could take "many decades, centuries or even thousands of years" for the moorland to recover from the fire.

Elspeth Ingleby, from the North York Moors National Park Authority, said: "It's catastrophic for the habitats that are found in that location and the wildlife that currently lives there.

"It really is devastating and it will take probably 10 years or more for the heather to develop to that depth again to enable them [ground-nesting birds] to breed in the future."

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