Firefighters work overnight to quell latest Dovestone blaze
Reporter: Ken Bennett
Date published: 12 July 2022
Image courtesy of GMFRS
This charred and blackened scene is stark testament to an overnight blaze at one of Oldham's favourite beauty spots.
Firefighters have been working overnight to tackle a fire which broke out near Dovestone Reservoir.
They were called at approximately 11pm last night (Monday) to reports of a fire on Bank Lane in Greenfield.
Ten fire engines from stations across Greater Manchester quickly arrived at the scene.
The fire is in a woodland area and involves four large seats of fire.
Firefighters are using hose reels and lighting to bring the fire under control.
Currently, fire crews remain in attendance and are dampening down the area.
A fire investigation team is working to establish the cause of the fire.
On Saturday in a bid to keep visitors safe, officers from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, backed by police and United Utilities who manage the site, warned of dangers from moorland fires, illegal bbqs, and swimming in open water.
But 24 hours later on Sunday, fire crews from Oldham, Stalybridge, Ashton, and Bolton North spent three hours at nearby Yoeman Hey reservoir quelling a moorland blaze.
A GMFRS spokesman said they visited Dovestone because there is a ‘significant heightened risk’ during summer months of moorland fires and emergency incidents involving open water.
He added: “Our team were also speaking to people about not leaving litter or lighting any kind of fires or fireworks.
"With conditions currently dry and warm, the smallest of flames can quickly spread into a major wildfire.
"Please help us protect our moorland.
“Warmer conditions can also sometimes make people want jump into open water, so we’ve also been urging visitors not to do this in any circumstances.
“Cold water shock can kill even the strongest swimmers, and under-water currents can be deadly.
"We’ve also seen the devastating consequences of this.
“We’re urging the public to stay safe this summer.”
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