After the team again provided support today to the firefighting operations on Anglezarke Moor (see incident 35/2011, which was concluded by 21:00 with further assistance scheduled to be provided tomorrow), at 21:40 this evening the team was contacted by Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service regarding another serious moorland fire which had broken out, this time in the vicinity of Clough House Farm, off Greens Arms Road, Chapeltown.

A large fire on the slopes of Turton Heights, was threatening to engulf a plantation and the team was requested to provide support to the fire service. However, as Bolton MRT had been engaged on the previous fire incident since 03:28 this morning, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE after discussing the support GMFRS required off the Bolton MRT, decided to pass this call totally onto our colleagues in Rossendale & Pendle MRT, for them to handle it on our behalf.

Our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE then liaised with Andy Simpson, Team Leader of Rossendale and Pendle MRT as to the response that was required, with RPMRT ultimately committing their team and vehicles in support of this fire, until the operation with regards to MRT involvement ceased in the early hours of the morning of Thursday 5th May 2011.

Update as at Thursday morning May 5th 2011. In view of our commitment to carry on assisting LFRS, joint with Bowland Pennine MRT on Anglezarke, with the on going major moorland fire there, RPMRT were scheduled to recommence their support of GMFRS (On our behalf) just after dawn this morning. Thankfully however GMFRS had managed to bring this fire under control and RPMRT were therefore stood down as no longer required.

This request upon the Bolton MRT does not feature in our Incident Reports, and is noted here for information only.