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A huge blaze raged on moorland near the M62 motorway last night (Sunday).

Firefighters from across West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester joined forces to tackle the fire, which at its height stretched for three miles.

Teams with specialist moorland firefighting equipment were drafted in from Keighley and Todmorden to help tackle the blaze.

Crews were called to the scene at Windy Hill on Saddleworth Moor at 10pm and were there for nearly six hours.

Huddersfield Fire Station Watch Commander Andy Wooller said: “When we arrived the fire front was about half a mile, but it spread quickly and was as large as two or three miles at one point.

“Moor fires can burn for days, so considering the conditions we were dealing with I am very pleased we managed to extinguish the fire within a few hours.

“It was very dark and the ground was boggy and peaty. Luckily we had about 30 firefighters and the help of specialist equipment, which are like giant industrial leaf blowers, to help get the fire under control.”

The crews left the scene at around 2.30am. It is not known how the fire started or whether it was caused deliberately.