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Car crash fire ignited moorland blaze

Hayley Coyle and Victoria ScheerYorkshire
News imageBBC/Victoria Scheer A rural roadside scene where emergency responders are dealing with the aftermath of a vehicle fire. In the foreground, a severely burned vehicle rests on its side in a drainage ditch running alongside a two-lane road. The vehicle's body is heavily damaged and blackened, with much of the exterior burned away, leaving a skeletal metal frame exposed. The ditch contains a small amount of water, and the surrounding vegetation is charred. Two firefighters or emergency workers wearing high-visibility protective clothing and bright helmets are visible in the scene. One emergency worker stands near the road on the right side of the image, directing a stream of water from a hose toward the burned area. The second emergency worker is positioned farther away in the burned field, also using a hose to dampen hotspots.BBC/Victoria Scheer
The fire led to the Woodhead Pass connecting South Yorkshire to Greater Manchester being shut in both directions

A moorland blaze which led to the closure of a major road linking South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester was started by a crashed car bursting into flames.

Firefighters were called to the A628 Woodhead Pass near Flouch at about 13:30 BST on Thursday to reports a car had come off the road and set on fire.

Fire station manager Jonathan Poynter said the flames moved quickly due to the dry ground, and required "copious amounts of water" to put them out.

"At its peak, it wasn't so much about the flame height and the head of the fire, but due to the nature of the land and the peatiness, it can get deep really quick, so that was the main concern for the crews," he said.

Poynter said crews left the scene at about 23:00 BST, with periodic checks carried out throughout the evening. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters returned on Friday morning to continue damping down, while a drone was used to carry out thermal imaging of the site.

News imageBBC/Victoria Scheer Poynter at the scene of the fire. He is wearing tan firefighting protective clothing with fluorescent yellow and reflective safety strips on the sleeves and torso. Several insignia are visible on the front of the jacket, along with a pen or small tool tucked into a chest pocket. Behind him, a large area of vegetation has been burned, leaving the ground blackened and charred. A fence line runs across the landscape, with wooden fence posts stretching into the distance. The scorched terrain extends across much of the left side of the image and into the background. On the right side of the image, a severely burned vehicle lies on its side in a drainage ditch. The vehicle's exterior has been almost completely destroyed by fire, exposing much of the metal framework. The ditch appears to contain a small amount of water, and the surrounding grass and vegetation show signs of fire damage. The setting is an open countryside area with rolling hills visible on the horizon. BBC/Victoria Scheer
Station manager Jonathan Poynter

It is estimated about 250,000 litres (55,000 gallons) of water were used to tackle the blaze on Thursday alone.

"We are still damping down the area to try and get our water as deep as possible and make sure that this is fully extinguished," said Poynter.

"The main areas of concern now are just mainly around the car area in the little ditch and valley and along the fence line, so it's where it sort of originated from."

He said crews were expected to stay at the scene throughout the afternoon.

The key route was shut in both directions on Thursday and remains closed in one direction from Flouch roundabout.

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