Call to make use of disposable barbeques on moorland a criminal offence

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham along with Deputy Mayor Bev Hughes and a group of five MPs have written to the home secretary on the issue.

They want to make the practice on open moorland and peatland a criminal offence carrying a severe penalty.

In the letter they argue moorland fires "tie up huge amounts of fire service resources for extended periods".

They have also asked for increased funding for fire and rescue services to ensure they have the resources they need to effectively tackle moorland fires.

At the height of the region’s moorland fires in 2018, they said 57 fire engines and 220 firefighters were in operation across Greater Manchester.

Last month a fire on Darwen Moor broke out after a disposable barbecue set surrounding grass alight and spread quickly across a vast area of the moors

The letter reads: "This joint letter is a call for further measures to protect our moorlands from fire. Specifically we are asking the Government to make the use of a disposal barbecue on open moorland and peatland a criminal offence, and to ensure that fire and rescue services (FRS) are adequately funded to effectively tackle moorland fires.

"Moorland fires often tie up huge amounts of FRS resources for extended periods.

"At the height of the region’s moorland fires in 2018, 57 fire engines and 220 firefighters were in operation across Greater Manchester. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) has 50 fire engines available at any one time so the fires required mutual aid support from 15 other FRSs, some 100 soldiers, and the United Utilities helicopter.

"The peat on our moorlands burned in these fires. Peat fires burn underground making them very difficult and resource-intensive to tackle. GMFRS committed resources to the incident for almost three weeks before the fire was finally extinguished. More recently, the fires near Oldham at the start of June this year required GMFRS to commit 20% of its firefighter resources to the incident at one time.

"Moorland fires are hugely disruptive to residents and the economy. The 2018 fires spread across 11km², roughly twice the size of Manchester city centre. It forced the evacuation of 34 homes and the closure of four schools.

"The smoke cloud was visible on satellite images and depending on the prevailing winds, there was a danger of it affecting visibility as far away as the M60 and M62 motorways, and even flights in and out of Manchester Airport."

They also argued moorland and peatland fires have a "hugely negative impact on the environment" such as an increase in air pollution.

The letter adds: We are also calling on Government to provide FRSs with the resources they need to control moorland fires.

"As well as the enormous impact these fires have on resources during incidents, there are the costs incurred to ensure our response is as effective as possible. GMFRS is increasing the number of stations and firefighters that have wildfire fighting capabilities, requiring new equipment, vehicles and enhanced training.

"The service is also purchasing new personal protective equipment to ensure its firefighters are protected from the prolonged periods exposed to intense heat that tackling wildfires demands."