Today whilst in the team’s area already covering the latter part of the Darwen Rotary Club Darwen Tower Trudge Sponsored Walk, we became aware of a major moorland fire developing on Rivington Moor. (Maybe it was the huge pall of smoke that gave it away!)

NWAS (Lancashire) Emergency Control and Greater Manchester Police Control also informed us of the fire, as road closures were being considered which might impact upon the team if we were called to an incident in the area.
After consultation with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Control our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE met up with the LFRS Incident Control team on the Winter Hill TV Mast road, and it was decided to call out the team to offer support to the fire fighting taking place on Rivington Moor.

At 16:12hrs a full team pager call out was made with members initially meeting at our Ladybridge Hall Base/HQ.

All then journeyed to the Winter Hill fire control RVP to meet up with our Team Leader and team member Steve Fletcher, who had commenced a log of our involvement.

An initial small group of the first arriving team members was deployed to supply fire fighters on the moor with drinks and other essential supplies, but by this stage the fire was rapidly being brought under control.
Local knowledge was also offered to the Fire Service and Police regards access points to the moor and the location of locked access gates.

By 18.15hrs our involvement was no longer required as LFRS were scaling down their on scene resources with only small pockets of moorland still on fire and we were stood down to return to base.

The following resources were involved in this incident:

• Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
  • multiple Pump Appliances
  • Mobile Incident Command Unit
  • 1x quad bike
  • 1x All Terrain Vehicle with water misting unit on board
  • 1x Land Rover Defender Personnel Carrier
  • and numerous Officers.
• Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
  • 1x Pump Appliance from Horwich Fire Station.
• Salvation Army Mobile Catering Unit
• Greater Manchester Police
  • Divisional resources
  • Traffic Officers
  • PCSOs
  • 2x Off Road Motorbike teams
  • (Road closures and public safety matters)
• Lancashire Constabulary
  • Divisional resources
  • Traffic Officers
  • 2x Off Road Motorbike teams
  • Operational Support Unit
  • (Road closures and public safety matters)
  • Lancashire Constabulary Air Support Unit helicopter ’Oscar November 99.’ (Utilised to determine the extent of the fire)
• United Utilities Ranger Service
• Bolton MBC Countryside Ranger Service
• Bolton Mountain Rescue Team
  • 21x team members
  • Team Doctor
  • 4x Team Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulances
  • 1x Minibus
  • Catering Trailer
  • Control Trailer.