More Saddleworth-style fires likely as climate changes, scientists warn

Saddleworth fires will also exacerbate problems as the UK’s peatlands store huge amounts of carbon that they will release

Northern Europe should brace itself for more upland fires like the one on Saddleworth Moor this week as the climate changes and extreme weather events become more common, scientists have warned.

As the army joined firefighters to tackle the blaze near Manchester and a second fire was reported on nearby upland, scientists said similar events are increasingly likely in future, with potentially devastating consequences for the environment and human health.