Firefighters tackling a major wildfire on the North York Moors have been forced to take a defensive approach after unexploded World War Two bombs began detonating in the blaze.
The fire, which broke out on Langdale Moor on the evening of Monday, August 11, has been burning for over two weeks. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident as the flames spread rapidly through the peat-rich terrain.
So far, 18 wartime ordnance explosions have been reported as the fire ignites buried munitions left over from the site’s use as a tank training ground during the Second World War.
Thick smoke has blanketed the moorland, with shifting winds making the fire even harder to contain. Around 60 firefighters and 10 fire engines remain at the scene, supported by helicopters working to create ‘wet breaks’ to slow the fire’s advance.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Chief Fire Officer Jonathan Dyson explained that the discovery of unexploded ordnance had forced crews to change tactics.
“We had to adopt a very defensive firefighting strategy in one of the key sectors due to finding unexploded ordnance,” he said. “As the peat continues to burn down, it’s igniting the World War Two explosives — we’ve now experienced over 18 detonations in key areas. Understandably, our tactics in those zones have to remain defensive.”
Dyson revealed that the presence of unexploded bombs only became known more than 24 hours into the incident, when it emerged the area had once been used for military training.
“The Ministry of Defence assured us that the site had undergone initial clearance,” he said, “but anything buried deeper underground could still pose a risk. As the fire burns down through the peat, it’s triggering these devices — which vary in size and explosive force.”
Crews are expected to remain on-site for the foreseeable future as they work to contain the blaze while navigating the ongoing threat from wartime remnants.