Large moor fire near RAF base declared a major incident

The fire on Langdale Moor, near RAF Fylingdales, has been burning since August 11 when fire crews received reports of smoke in the area.

It was declared a major incident on Wednesday afternoon as North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service shared an update saying the fire was now covering 5 square kilometres, up from initial reports of 300m x 300m.

Drone footage of the blaze taken by Humberside Fire and Rescue shows a wall of smoke covering the area.

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Residents in the region have been advised to keep their windows and doors closed and to avoid the area, if possible.

An incident report shared by North Yorkshire Fire this morning revealed that the fire had reduced in size overnight but a few hours later it updated this to say the fire had spread again.

They wrote: "Crews remain at the scene. We have 6 fire engines, water bowsers, all terrain vehicles and our incident command unit in attendance.

"The fire reduced in size overnight but we will be at the scene for some time. Crews are using hose reels jets and beaters."

David Skaith, mayor of York and North Yorkshire, and Jo Coles, deputy mayor for policing, fire and crime, said in a statement: "We are aware of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s declaration of a major incident for the fire at Langdale Moor and continue to monitor the situation.

"We encourage the public to avoid the area and follow the latest advice from the fire service, which can be found on their website.

"We want to thank the firefighters, emergency service workers and partner agencies for their response to this incident."