Access land in the Peak District National Park is open to
walkers and climbers once more, but walker are being urged to remain
vigilant as irresponsible campers are blamed for a moorland
fire above Glossop.
Firefighters in the area spent four hours dealing with a blaze
above Crowden at the weekend with four engines and a helicopter being
used to douse flames on an area of moorland.
Speaking to the Glossop Advertiser, a spokesman for the local fire
brigade blamed careless wild campers saying that they'd left debris
around and had obviously fled in a hurry after a camp fire got out of
hand on the tinder-dry moorland.
'There was debris around and campers had been seen earlier in the
day. Their irresponsibility is costing thousands of pounds.'
He went on to say that it costs £750 per hour to hire a
helicopter, even at a discounted rate and that a recent fire on
Bleaklow started 'in the same way'.
Recent rain will have reduced the risk somewhat but drier weather
will rapidly increase the dangers again. Peak Park Head of access and
recreation Sean Prendergast said: "We are still urging people to take
caution on the moors, this doesn't mean that they are safe -
the moors are still susceptible to fire, and we're appealing to
people not to smoke, light naked flames or barbecues."
There is no right to camp on open access land in England and Wales
and though discrete wild camping has always taken place in the area,
it's clearly not a good idea in the recent tinder-dry conditions
where a small spark could start a blaze. Building a camp fire in the
circumstances simply beggars belief.
