Last year's fire on the Pennine moors near Rishworth

A major moorland fire was brought under control yesterday evening after firefighters spent most of the day tackling the blaze near Halifax.

At its height, about 100 firefighters were involved in the operation near Oldham Road, Rishworth, in the South Pennines. 20 fire engines were involved throughout Easter Sunday in fighting the blaze, which engulfed an area covering 48ha (119 acres) of land north of the M62.

Firefighters from West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester used a large jet, hose reels, water backpacks and beaters to tackle the fire. Fire engines took part in a shuttle to bring water to the remote area and a police helicopter was used to help the fire service with reconnaissance.

By 5.30pm, the operation was reduced to damping down the site. At one point, flames were 8m (25ft) high, though no-one was injured in the incident. Firefighters were on the moor for more than seven hours fighting the blaze.

Last May, the moors around Rishworth suffered a similar fire after a prolonged dry period. On that occasion, 65 firefighters were called to the blaze near Baitings Reservoir.