UKH

If you find yourself on UKC whilst deciding where to climb this eve, avoid Bamford as it looks at though there's an extensive fire below the crag with multiple fire engines in attendance. There's only Facebook footage at the moment but I'll update if I find a news article 

https://m.facebook.com/groups/151792351601696?view=permalink&id=2978385...(87,"Bamford Edge")]

This has felt like something of an inevitability, but it's still sad to see.

I actually live in Bamford, hence have been watching this unfold over the last hour or two - it's not a pretty sight.

The good news is that the fire service are up in force, doing their best to tackle the blaze. A helicopter drop has been requested and I think their aim is to stop it from spreading over the top and onto the moor, which given the strength of the winds is a very real possibility.

I'll try and report back as/when I see + hear more.

Couple of close-ups, which help to show the extent of it so far.

Much less smoke and no visible flames. The easterlies have blown it into the oak woodland which has, for better or for worse, slowed it down. 

Fingers crossed they've managed to get on top of it.

So sad to see this. Fingers crossed they get it under control!

Looks like it’s under control, but suspect they’ll be up there for a while yet to ensure it doesn’t reignite.

I’ll head up there and get some photos over the next few days. 

We'd finished climbing on the Lower Tier when we could smell (but not quite see) the unique smell of moorland burning about 4pm-ish(?).

Wandering across to Neb Buttress the fire's location was directly beneath it, maybe 250m or so. At this point it was 'only smoke' and the fire service were there. I was half way up Bamford Wall when the fire worsened considerably. At this point I down climbed and rightly so, all climbers on the crag began to pack up leave!!

It certainly provided a visual display for walkers. Hopefully, not too many ground nesting birds et al in the fire's path.

Is the fire still going?

When I woke up at 5:30 this morning (courtesy of Greenwood Jnr) I was a bit worried, as there appeared to be smoke coming from the top. The fire service trucks appeared shortly after and the sky has cleared up a lot. I'll do my best to get up there this evening and take a few pics from on top, but for the time being I'd say to avoid (and to ask anyone you see so much as looking at a BBQ to stop immediately!).

Hi Rob, we drove through the village yesterday evening although it looked well under control by the time we went past. Have they said it was a bbq? Bamford Edge doesn't normally get that style of clientele 😉

I ride past there frequently and even before the pandemic there were and are many people milling about, both on the road and on the hill below the crag. Yesterday as I rode past I have never before seen so many cars parked. Same for Stanage, Padley, Mam Tor and above Millstone. A fire was almost inevitable 

On a related note, there is a petition to ban the use of disposable BBQs in open countryside and moorland. This may not have been the cause of the Bamford for yesterday, but it is a high risk activity in general. 

https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-ban-disposable-bbq-s?recruiter=18209...

I feel like this is the fourth or so incident I've seen in the Peak in the last couple of weeks. I wouldn't usually be for banning things, but a BBQ ban seems reasonable given how often we see them.

A group of people were having a barbq/party at Burbage North this week. They'd moved the barbeques onto a rock after a cyclist had spoken to them earlier but I couldn't persuade them to put them out so I reported it to 101. I was surprised how seriously the police took it so would encourage anyone to do the same. You can also report any barbeques or camp fires seen in the peak district to a ranger on 07788 396379

You are the hero we all need. Seriously!

It's so easy to sneer and mutter under one's breath, but to take action takes guts.

X

Good work Helin!  Hope you are enjoying getting out.  See you soon

Thanks Deacon, it was intimidating facing a group of young people drinking. And yeah be great to see you soon Derek, I think Daniels patience with top roping is starting to wane

I think the cyclist was probably me! I did tell them that if the police saw the smoke they'd likely be in some trouble. Did the police actually come out while you were about?

I was up at the top of Cut Gate earlyish this morning mountain biking when about 12 motorcyclists came up from the Derwent side heading toward Langsett. Riding a motorbike is illegal anyway on a bridleway, but the way some of them sort of came unnecessarily close to me and some other walkers and cyclist seemed aggressive. I did think about calling 101 about them - pretty certain police have asked mountain bikers to report MX bikes on the moors, but I was having mechanical issues of my own so didn't in the end. The youngsters having the BBQ at Burbage the other night were very friendly and listened and seemed to take on board what I was saying, so "dobbing them in" seemed a bit mean but I don't think I would have felt too bad about the aggressive motor cyclists getting nicked!

I'm really glad you spoke to them as they had moved the disposable barbeques off the ground and onto rock by the time I got down there.  The earth had been scorched though.  And I was grateful that someone else had  stopped to talk to them. I'm also glad I dobbed them in. They could have the same fun somewhere less of a risk. Letting them think it was ok to have barbeques anywhere near peat could be disastrous and it was worth being made to feel stupid for trying. Peat can ignite a long time after a fire has seemingly been extinguished. I'm not certain the police attended but from their response I will be more confident challenging it next time 

Was this last Tue afternoon? I was walking on the other side of the valley at the time and wondered what a fire engine was doing at the Burbage North parking as I couldn't see any smoke anywhere. Then 3 firemen walked down to a group of people between the edge and the green drive, spoke to the group for a few minutes, then put something out as there was a brief cloud of smoke/steam

If I do see anybody having a barbecue out there that's the first thing i'll be doing, calling the fire brigade. A fireman posted on a facebook group I'm in advising people to call them as they'd rather put out a barbecue than a raging moorland fire.

It's not unheard of. I've had to carry the detritus of a teenage party down from Bamford Edge before. We managed the tents and giant loudspeakers but ran out of time and energy to deal with the mains generator they'd been using for power.