One of northern England’s most picturesque areas, Ilkley Moor in West Yorkshire, was on Saturday engulfed in flames. It is the second time in a month that a blaze has swept moorland there. Ten fire engines were called out to deal with spreading flames, at Ilkley near Hangingstone Road, and people were urged to keep away.

Residents posted images of smoke billowing from the area, with one saying: “Not again – fire on #Ilkley Moor close to Hangingstone Road after the Cattle grid.” Ilkley Moor is famous for its picturesque walks and its Cow and Calf rock formation, and also for inspiring Yorkshire’s unofficial anthem, On Ilkley Moor Baht ’at.

Police said officers were called to moorland at about 9.55am following a report of a fire and suspicious behaviour by a woman at the location. “Following enquiries [police] arrested a 48-year-old woman in connection with fire under way on moorland. Some road closures were put in place and West Yorkshire fire and rescue service are attending at the scene to manage the fire.”

West Yorkshire fire and rescue service said it received more than 65 emergency calls about the fire and said there was “a lot of smoke in the area”.

The fire – which was later extinguished – was preceded by a blaze over the Easter holiday period when firefighters fought to contain flames that had spread over 50 acres of moorland at Ilkley. A helicopter was called out to help battle the flames.

This fire was followed the next day by a blaze that engulfed more than 700 acres of nearby moorland in an area above the village of Marsden in West Yorkshire. In each case, tinderbox-dry moorland, soaring temperatures over Easter and swirling winds made conditions highly dangerous.

In addition, a series of fires have affected other areas of Britain, all left susceptible by the unseasonably hot and dry conditions. In Moray, Scotland, fire crews last week battled a blaze that destroyed moor and woodland. A nearby wildfire around Paul’s Hill wind farm at Knockando last month was described as one of the biggest in the UK in years. Fire chiefs have warned there was a heightened risk of wildfires across Scotland because of the dry weather.

Firefighters tackling the blaze on Ilkley moor. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

And in north Wales, families were forced to leave their homes after a large blaze broke out in the mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd. Dozens had to be evacuated after the fire broke out on Easter Monday. One eyewitness described the area as looking “like a volcano”. Similarly, in Northern Ireland, 200 people staying in a caravan park had to be evacuated over Easter as dozens of firefighters battled a major gorse fire in the Mourne mountains.

The most recent fires – at Ilkley and in Moray – have prompted renewed warnings about the dangers of tinder-dry conditions which have continued to affect the countryside.

In particular fire chiefs have stressed the dangers of using disposable barbecues for picnics. In the case of the blaze at Marsden moor – designated a site of special scientific interest and a special protection area – it is estimated to have cost its owner, the National Trust, about £500,000. It was triggered by a £2 disposable barbecue.