Scorched earth

For over 2 weeks now the North York Moors have been burning, a wild fire covering  over 2,500 acres keeps spreading sending acrid smoke as far as Whitby, Scarborough and York. Holiday makers have been evacuated and livestock moved to safety, many roads around the moor are closed.   Fire services work continuously with help from local game keepers and farmers who have left their jobs to ferry tankers of water to the fire service and dig out fire breaks to hold back the flames.  These are the farmers who are constantly persecuted by our government, the same government that has so far provided zero support to the fire fighting effort.  Locals are collecting donations of food and water for the workers and money to help pay for the fuel used by the farmers.  

The North York Moors is my old training ground, The Cleveland Way, The Lyke Wake Walk, MrFF and I were out there most weekends when we lived in North Yorkshire. I learnt how to pace myself to run uphill at Carlton Bank.  The loss is already enormous, grazing for animals, flora and fauna habitats, and still it goes on. The peat can smoulder for weeks and recovery will take years.  It’s heart breaking.

We keep hoping for rain, there was a little yesterday but we need a deluge to dampen the fire.  MrFF took this photo of Scar House reservoir in neighbouring Nidderdale on Sunday.  Already our water authority is taking water from our rivers as supplies dwindle.