Firefighters across Greater Manchester tackle huge blaze on moorlands

Firefighters tackled a huge fire which broke out on moorlands in Greater Manchester, with smoke and spreading flames seen for miles.

Six fire engines were called to the blaze north of Oldham, near Diggle, on around 4.15pm on Wednesday 5 March.

Local residents were urged to stay indoors and keep their doors and windows closed as smoke continued to billow from the site.

It comes after parts of the North West saw temperatures of up to 15C on Wednesday 5 March - making it one of the warmest days of 2025 so far.

Pictures show a huge wall of orange flames, with a sea of blue lights towards the bottom of the hill in the Huddersfield Road and Holmfirth Road areas.

A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “At around 4.15pm today (Wednesday 5 March), six fire engines from Chadderton, Mossley, Stalybridge, Hollins, Ashton and Hyde fire stations and wildfire units from across Greater Manchester were called to a moorland fire off the A635 near the Diggle area.

“Crews arrived quickly to try and extinguish the fire with support from local farmers, before departing after two hours due to the lack of daylight.

“The fire has now been extinguished, and firefighters will revisit the area in daylight hours to review the scene. Nearby residents are advised to keep their windows and doors closed and to avoid the area."

The cause of the moor fire, which has now been extinguished, has not yet been confirmed.