MoorlandFire

May 8 2016

Incident 51/2016 – Moorland Fire Hoddlesden

Whilst still on the Wythenshaw search (see incident 50/2016) the team was contacted by Lancashire Constabulary requesting the team contact Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service who needed assistance with logistics and safety cover for their fire crews who were dealing with moorland fires that had developed in the Hoddlesden area.

It was established that the fire front fell into the area of responsibility of neighbouring team Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team. Alistair Greenough, Team Leader of Bolton MRT liased with Pete Goble, Team Leader of RPMRT, passing the co-ordinating role with the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.

Three Bolton team Land Rovers and control vehicle were deployed to the RVP following discussion with Rossendale control but fortunately the fire had been brought under control by the fire crews and our resources were no longer required. All resources returned to our base location with a number of personnel making themselves available the following day should the need arise.

A long, busy day for all in Bolton Mountain Rescue.

Further information including videos and news articles can be found on our Facebook site.

This was a good example of not only inter team working but good inter agency working between Police, Fire, Salvation Army, United Utilities, Local Council and Mountain Rescue.

By • 2016, Incident • • Tags: ,

Apr 23 2016

Incident 44/2016 – Continuation of major fire on Darwen & Turton Moor

As a continuation of the moorland fire on Turton and Darwen moor from the previous night the team returned to Crookfield Road car park RVP at 06:00 to meet with the staff from the mobile fire control unit on scene to discuss what help the team could be to the fire service.

Also in attendance were colleagues from Bay Search and Rescue Team who arrived with their Hagglund tracked vehicles to transport 1000 litre containers of water onto the moors for the fire crews.

Throughout the day our team vehicles were used to move crews around the moors, team members accompanied fire crews onto the moor to provide local area knowledge, some navigation assistance and again allowed us to track the crews from our control vehicle on our MRmap software.

Fortunately the fire came under control and at around 16:30 the team stood down and returned to base locations.

This was an excellent example of multi agency working by 2 fire and rescue services and two voluntary organisations.

By • 2016, Incident • • Tags: ,

Apr 22 2016

Incident 43/2016 – Major Fire on Darwen & Turton Moor

The team was contacted by Lancashire Police control room requesting we speak with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service to assist them with a developing moorland fire around Darwen.  Team Leader Alistair Greenough made contact with the Group manager from Lancashire Fire and Rescue who asked we meet with a Greater Manchester Fire Crew and Station manager at Lower Pasture Barn Farm and liaise with how we could best assist.

IMG_3277As the fire front on the eastern side of the moors had been brought under control the decision was made by the Lancashire Fire Incident Manager to relocate the resources to a carpark on Crookfield Road outside Tockholes where a plan was formulated and we were requested to transport fire crews and equipment onto the moors and provide a tracking facility using our mountain rescue computer software so the fire control room could monitor where the fire crews were at all times.

Using local knowledge of tracks and paths Bolton Mountain Rescue were able to take the crews close to the fire front making their response more timely, otherwise it would have been a case of moving everything by hand.

IMG_3300On hand was Andy Ryding (Ex Bolton MRT member) United Utilities Countryside Ranger who was able to provide a huge amount of assistance and local knowledge which allowed the vehicles best access to the moors.

All four of our team landrovers were used as well as our control vehicle which was used to run the mountain rescue side of the incident.

At approx 02:30 the decision was made to stand the team down as we would be required to return in the morning to assist with further fire operations.

By • 2016, Incident • • Tags: ,

Jun 11 2015

Incident 47/2015 – Assisting LFRS and GMFRS at a large scale moorland wildfire on Smithills Moor, Winter Hill

This evening the team provided logistical and other support to LFRS and GMFRS at a large scale moorland wildfire on Smithills Moor, Winter Hill.

Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE was made aware of the fire at circa 16.45hrs, and as the team was to be providing standby rescue cover for the Two Lads Fell Race in the general vicinity of the wildfire, it was felt prudent to liaise with the Fire Services involved in tackling with the developing wildfire.

Various telephone calls were made between Garry and LFRS and GMFRS Fire Officers, and with the fire further spreading at 18.26hrs North West Fire Control paged the team for assistance to deal with the fire.

marathon1

A full team pager call out was made at 18.40hrs (Previous to this the team had been placed on standby) and team members quickly assembled at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ, with the news that the Two Lads Fell Race had been cancelled due to the fire.

A control point had been established part way up the ‘mast’ road leading to Winter Hill summit transmitter station, and it was here that we were tasked to liaise initially with the Fire Service (LFRS / GMFRS) Incident Commanders.

An emergency vehicle holding point was also established on Georges Lane, Horwich and along Coal Pits Lane, Smithills, where most of our team initially met, alongside some Fire Service resources.

hagg1Road closures were put in to place by GMP on parts of Georges Lane and the Winter Hill summit transmitter station access road.

NPAS 21, from Barton, landed at the control point at 20.31hrs airlifting a GMFRS Officer for a reconnaissance overflight of the fire zone area.

By this stage the fire which had been spreading across a wide area of Smilthills Moor, was being brought under control.

Via LFRS, specialist all terrain assets were also brought in from Bay Search and Rescue Team, who arrived prior to 21.00hrs with one of their very specialist Hagglund vehicles, with a water tank powered trailer attachment.

With a drop in the wind and the onset of nightfall lowering temperatures, the fire was soon brought totally under control, and most assets began to be released from the fire scene from 21.25hrs onwards.

hagg4By circa 23.00hrs all Bolton MRT and Bay SART assets had stood down from the incident scene alongside the remaining GMFRS and LFRS resources.

The following day, GMFRS and Bay SART returned to dampen down the remaining hotspots.
During our involvement with this incident, we provided transport of drinks and food to firefighters, navigational and local knowledge assistance, transport of firefighters, road marshaling and fire spotting.

This incident illustrated large scale multi agency working, with GMP, NPAS, United Utilities, Bolton MRT, GMFRS, LFRS and the Salvation Army all involved, working together to bring this moorland wild fire incident to a conclusion.

The following resources were known to be involved in dealing with this wildfire incident;

  • Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service; Multiple pump appliances from amongst other Fire Stations, Chorley. Softrac and Polaris specialist ATVs. Mobile Fire Station / Control Vehicle. Officers including FOG Officer Shaun Walton.
  • Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service; Multiple pump appliances and Intervention vehicles from amongst other Fire Stations Horwich, Irlam, Bolton Central. Officers including Incident Command and Station Officers.
  • Salvation Army; Mobile Catering Unit vehicle with three staff.
  • United Utilities; Staff and an ATV vehicle.Winter Hill Fire 11Jun15 024
  • Bay Search and Rescue Team; One Haggland specialist tracked ATV, with power trailer (water tank), and transporter vehicle, Land Rover Discovery Support Vehicle, and team personnel.
  • National Police Air Service; Helicopter NPAS 21 from City Airport Manchester (Barton)
  • Greater Manchester Police; Traffic Car and local Divisional vehicles and Officers.
  • Bolton Mountain Rescue Team; Twenty eight team operational members, four Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulances, Ford Transit Crewbus / Ambulance, VW Crafter LWB Incident Control Vehicle.

hagg3

The following report on this incident is from the website news feed of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service;

Firefighters from Greater Manchester and Lancashire tackle moorland fire on Winter Hill.
Borough: Bolton

Incident Date: 11 June 2015

FIREFIGHTERS from Greater Manchester and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Services are tackling a significant moorland fire on Winter Hill, Horwich.

Control operators were called about the blaze after a pilot flying over the moors spotted the fire and contacted air traffic controllers at 3.55pm today, Thursday June 11.

Winter Hill Fire 11Jun15 016The fire is around a mile away from Georges Lane in Horwich and crews are advising local residents to stay away from the area and keep their doors and windows closed if their property is affected by smoke.

There are currently over 10 appliances (over 50 firefighters) at the scene along with various specialist equipment, including beaters, all terrain vehicles and firefighting fans.The fire services are being supported by a number of other agencies as they tackle the fire. These include Bolton Mountain Rescue, United Utilities, GMP and Bay Search and Rescue.

Group Manager Dean Nankivell, who is the Officer in Charge of the incident, said: “In this warm weather the ground is extremely dry which creates a tinderbox effect and that means any fire can spread very easily.

Winter Hill Fire 11Jun15 015“This wildfire currently spans an area of around 1km by 500metres, with various pockets of fire across the moorland and firefighters are working incredibly hard to surround it and stop it from spreading.

“It is particularly arduous work, the location means water is not easily accessible and crew use beaters to extinguish it and create breaks to prevent the fire from spreading.

“They are also trying to limit the impact on the environment and wildlife in the area.

“We would ask people to stay away from the area until the fire is out – and if you live locally to keep doors and windows shut.

“We are expecting to be at the scene for several hours.”

By • 2015, Incident • • Tags: ,

Apr 20 2013

Incident 54/2013

During our provision of Standby Rescue Cover for the large scale Pike View Hike (See previous report entry) the event control was made aware at circa 17.39hrs of a small wildfire on the prominent feature of Healey Nab, possibly on the closing route stage of the ‘Hike’ event.



Following investigation by team members present in the area covering the event, it was determined that a response was needed by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, with a call being made to LFRS at 18.13hrs, which resulted in the mobilisation of three LFRS Pump Fire Appliances and one LFRS Land Rover personnel carrier.

Team members at 19.00hrs met and liaised with LFRS, including experienced team call out list member Chris Greenhalgh (A GMFRS Firefighter at Broughton Fire Station) resulting in one of our two Land rovers present transporting some firefighters closer to the fire scene via off road tracks. (Team members had also plotted the overall fire area and provided this information to the responding LFRS resources)



By 19.40hrs this fire was extinquished, with the incident closed at 20.00hrs.

In total two of our Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles were involved in this incident assisting LFRS, with four team members on scene (Chris Greenhalgh, John Dickinson, Tony Dawson and Mike Marsh) with Steve Fletcher co-ordinating our involvement from the Event Control.

(Please note this incident falls within the primary operational response area of our colleagues at Bowland Pennine MRT. Steve Fletcher liaised with Phil O’Brien, Team Leader of Bowland Pennine MRT regards our response to this incident)

By • 2013, Incident • • Tags: ,

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