spencer wrote:
We decided to visit Upleatham and neighbouring Patterson's Bank round barrows near Middlesbrough this evening...smoke over the wood as we approached. A fire engine near the car park and another at the start of the path into the wood. Climbing up to Patterson's it turned out it was these days a favourite place for scrambler bikes, deep ruts biting into the corestone. Then to it's neighbour: the fire had burnt a wide area right up the hillside to its base and it still smouldered despite fire crews efforts. The smoke still hung heavy in the air. Returning to the car park three lads who we'd seen up there were by their VW Golfs chugging away on their fags, looking pleased with themselves. Pix on TMA to follow. Not in mood tonight : (
It is all very demoralising the moors on fire, due to carelessness, and of course deliberate lighting of fires. How do you protect them? The fire on the moors in West Yorkshire seems to have been started by one of these ready made barbecue trays. Also don't forget it has been so dry the last few months, it is criminal to waste water from the reservoirs putting them out. Basically people will have to be kept off the moors, the wild life damage is also severe, the curlew already in decline, the hares and grouse....
