MOORLAND fires ripped across East Lancashire yesterday as the soaring temperatures sparked flames on the dry land.

Fires started on moorland behind Sunnyhurst Lane, Darwen, the Coppice on the outskirts of Accrington and most dramatically in The Forest of Trawden in Laneshawbridge, near the Yorkshire border.

Around 100 firefighters including eight pumps from Lancashire and three from Yorkshire as well as a helicopter fought the largest of the three fires in the area, near Colne.

Flames broke out at about 1pm yesterday and crews worked throughout the night to control the blaze, using nearby reservoirs for extra water.

The fire spread from the Lancashire and West Yorkshire border down to the former Herders Inn, in Lancashire Moor Road, Laneshawbridge.

In Accrington, crews from Blackburn had to be drafted in to cover watch duty at Accrington fire station after the hot weather sparked a second day of fires.

Firefighters were called out for the second day in a row to tackle smouldering shrubland at the Coppice on the outskirts of Accrington at about 11am.

Yesterday three engines attended a site close to the A56 to dampen down the land, which continued to smoulder for seven hours.

Relief crews were sent out to take the pressure off those working in the hot sun and colleagues from Blackburn were moved over to Accrington to help with depleted resources.

In Darwen fires broke out at about 4pm. Crews managed to extingush flames after working for more than two hours.