Langdale Moor fire: Major incident declared as fire surges near RAF Fylingdales

A moorland fire that has been burning for two days near an RAF base in North Yorkshire has been declared a major incident.

Crews were first called to Langdale Moor after reports of smoke on Monday. August 11 and found the blaze had jumped a firebreak.An overnight watch took place but by Tuesday morning the fire covered 300 x 300m, growing to 1km x 1km by the afternoon.

On Tuesday the fire service said: "Crews remain at the scene. The fire now measures approx 1km x 1km and is affecting moorland and forestry. All terrain vehicles and a water bowser are in use along with a drone from Humberside Fire and Rescue Service."

READ MORE: Toddler, 3, is sick on her dress before reality TV winner beats her to death

READ MORE: Elderly woman vanishes in car crash - then turns up months later with wild story

By Wednesday water bowsers, six fire engines and all-terrain vehicles were being used to fight the fire — near RAF Fylingdales — early on Wednesday.North Yorkshire Fire Service said the blaze had shrunk overnight, but by 12.30pm it had spread to cover 5sq km and was declared a major incident.

Yesterday fire crews said: "The fire has now spread and is covering around 5sq km. More resources are being sent to the scene (it’s now a make pumps 20 incident)."

Pictures posted on Facebook by Bedale fire station showed the fire burning overnight, while drone footage filmed on Tuesday showed huge flames and vast clouds of smoke. More resources are now being sent to the scene in an effort to bring it under control.

The hot, dry weather in the UK has made such fires more likely and a fire on heathland in Dorset was also declared a major incident at the weekend. Crews were still on site at Holt Heath today, dealing with hotspots and occasional flare-ups sparked by wind.

However, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service said "good progress" was being made across all four sectors of the incident.

It comes as heat health alerts have been extended into next week for much of England. Yellow warnings will now be in place in Yorkshire and Humber, the East and West Midlands, London, the South East and South West and East of England until 6pm on August 18, the UK Health Security Agency said.

Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story HERE. Get email updates on the day’s biggest stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletters.

Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by following The Mirror every time you see our name.

• Follow The Mirror on Google News - CLICK HEREand click the star

• Follow The Mirror on Apple News - CLICK HEREavailable on Apple devices

• Follow The Mirror on Flipboard - CLICK HEREand click follow

You can sign up for Twitter alerts for breaking news here @MirrorBreaking_and follow us @DailyMirror, for all the latest updates.

Keep up-to-date with your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day by following us on Facebook at facebook.com/dailymirror