Greater Manchester moorland fire merges with Tintwistle Moor blaze as firefighters warn of days of work

Firefighters in Greater Manchester are continuing to tackle a large moorland blaze near Dove Stone Reservoir after it merged with a separate fire at Tintwistle Moor. Crews said the combined fire is likely to take days to extinguish because of dry ground, steep terrain and changing winds. The blaze has sent smoke across a wide area of the region, adding to the scale of the response.

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Greater Manchester Police said a 20-year-old woman has appeared in court charged with arson over the fire near Dove Stone Reservoir. The fire broke out on Saturday in Greenfield, Saddleworth, and later joined with the separate blaze several miles away at Tintwistle Moor near Glossop. That second fire began on 24 June and was declared a major incident on Sunday, according to Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service.

About 70 firefighters, 11 fire engines and four wildfire units were at the scene on Tuesday. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews were working in "challenging conditions" and were using helicopters to drop water, as well as drones and aircraft for reconnaissance. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service area manager Ben Levy said firefighters were operating on steep and unstable ground and that there was no significant rainfall forecast, with temperatures expected to remain high.

The incident matters because it shows how quickly moorland fires can spread across exposed upland areas when conditions are dry and windy. The combination of tinder-dry vegetation and shifting winds has made containment difficult, while the merger of two separate fires has increased the area crews must cover. The response also involves multiple emergency services and specialist wildfire resources, underlining the operational strain such incidents can place on local services.

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The fire at Tintwistle Moor has been burning since late June, and the latest development links that earlier incident with the newer blaze near Dove Stone Reservoir. Firefighters said they have also received support from Mountain Rescue, which provided a drone, and from a coastguard aircraft used for reconnaissance. The scale of the response suggests crews are dealing with a broad and difficult moorland fire rather than a single contained hotspot.

What remains unclear is how long it will take to bring the merged fire fully under control and whether further spread can be prevented in the coming days. Officials have not said when the situation will be declared safe, and the weather forecast remains a concern. The court case involving the woman charged with arson is also likely to remain part of the wider investigation into how the fire began.

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