Saddleworth Moor

Minusorange · 27 Jun 2018 at 15:48

It's burning for 4 days now due to the heat and lack of rain

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-44626899

It looks like scenes you'd see in the US or Australia

Any from GD close by to it ?

robfosters · 27 Jun 2018 at 16:03

Wow, looks like something from a movie. A vision of hell.

It’s the moor from the moors murders isn’t it?

Efour · 27 Jun 2018 at 16:04

To be expected post brexit. Expect more fires to come.

sideways14a · 27 Jun 2018 at 16:05

Army now called in to help, wonder if they will nuke it.

Minusorange · 27 Jun 2018 at 16:29

robfosters said:
Wow, looks like something from a movie. A vision of hell.

It’s the moor from the moors murders isn’t it?

Yep the same moor

Yadda · 27 Jun 2018 at 16:31

It looks terrible. Does anyone know if "the farm in the middle of the moor road" is safe?

Minusorange · 27 Jun 2018 at 16:41

The heat generated by the fires is devastating to the fragile upland moorland - only the most mobile of animals escape and of course we are in peak breeding period for many.

The animals are on the moors because they like the conditions they find there and ultimately depend upon the plants.

It will have devastating consequences on birds like the curlew which are feeding chicks at the moment. Meadow pipit also nest in tussocks of grass, nests and chicks will not have survived a fire like this.

Can we not loan some of those fire fighting planes/helicopters from America to stop it quickly so the wildlife isn't destroyed ?

adolf hamster · 27 Jun 2018 at 16:51

sideways14a said:
Army now called in to help, wonder if they will nuke it.

i thought the army's specialty was starting the fires

Minusorange · 27 Jun 2018 at 19:11

There's a horrible haze on the coast here from all that smoke being blown over

Haggisman · 27 Jun 2018 at 19:16

Minusorange said:
Can we not loan some of those fire fighting planes/helicopters from America to stop it quickly so the wildlife isn't destroyed ?

Borrow.

I doubt they would have the range to fly over here on their own, and by the time they are shipped over it will be too late

robfosters · 27 Jun 2018 at 19:18

We need Superman and a frozen lake.

The Funktopus · 27 Jun 2018 at 19:29

Let’s not be too hasty putting it out lads, it might take Oldham.

Worthy · 27 Jun 2018 at 19:35

The Funktopus said:
Let’s not be too hasty putting it out lads, it might take Oldham.

We're not lucky enough, it'll hit the 365 days a year snowstorm they have there and it'll go out.

ThePainBarrier · 27 Jun 2018 at 19:36

Work colleague lives next to that and is probably going to be "evacuated" tonight.
He says it was possible started by a group of motorbikes that broke through fences onto farmers land. Farmer chased them off but their exhaust had set grass alight.

Fire brigade put that out and then a few days later this happens.
It's all peat around there so the original fire could have gone underground.

Not official, just what he heard locally.

Rroff · 27 Jun 2018 at 19:37

Minusorange said:
Can we not loan some of those fire fighting planes/helicopters from America to stop it quickly so the wildlife isn't destroyed ?

Quick google suggests we've got BAe 146 in this country capable of fire fighting - the ones you typically see in the US only have a range of about half way across the Atlantic so would probably need towing in with a tanker (though they have the heavies as well which are based on the 747, etc.).

2004typer · 27 Jun 2018 at 19:53

Minusorange said:
It's burning for 4 days now due to the heat and lack of rain

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-44626899

It looks like scenes you'd see in the US or Australia

Any from GD close by to it ?

I'm in Dukinfield so close but not ground zero, ash falling this morning at school playground (St. Peter's, Stalybridge). Wind must have changed direction smoke smell has subsided a bit, but the huge smoke cloud still very apparent in close distance.

Minusorange · 27 Jun 2018 at 19:59

2004typer said:
I'm in Dukinfield so close but not ground zero, ash falling this morning at school playground (St. Peter's, Stalybridge). Wind must have changed direction smoke smell has subsided a bit, but the huge smoke cloud still very apparent in close distance.

It's being blow East to the coast, making our usually pleasant air not very pleasant

Tried cycling to highest point to see if it was possible to see the smoke plume but visibility is terrible due to the smokey haze

Rroff said:
Quick google suggests we've got BAe 146 in this country capable of fire fighting - the ones you typically see in the US only have a range of about half way across the Atlantic so would probably need towing in with a tanker (though they have the heavies as well which are based on the 747, etc.).

So is the fire just not big enough or something for them to be used effectively ?

2004typer · 27 Jun 2018 at 19:59

Picture of smoke plume in distance:

https://s8.postimg.cc/64o5c17p1/20180627_195536.jpg

Rroff · 27 Jun 2018 at 20:04

Minusorange said:
So is the fire just not big enough or something for them to be used effectively ?

I've no idea but I suspect someone doesn't want to take on the "blame" of authorising the cost of using them unless absolutely necessary :s

Minusorange · 27 Jun 2018 at 20:07

Rroff said:
I've no idea but I suspect someone doesn't want to take on the "blame" of authorising the cost of using them unless absolutely necessary :s

You would think the moor being on fire for 4 days, army being called in and residents needing to be evacuated would count as necessary :confused:

Bet if it was down south they'd have got them out on day 2

Saddleworth Moor

I haz 4090!