Temporary bridge repairs help crews tackle wildfire

A bridge on a farm track in the Peak District has been temporarily reinforced after the little-used route was needed to help bring a wildfire under control.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said the small arch in Crowden was crossed by its vehicles as they battled to put out the blaze on Tintwistle Moor, where a major incident was officially stood down on Monday.

The bridge "recently began to fail under the weight of emergency vehicles", the service said, leading to Derbyshire County Council workers carrying out repairs using four one-tonne sacks of rock, earth and existing concrete slabs.

Permanent repairs are set to take place later this summer.

Crews were first called to Tintwistle Moor on 24 June, and a major incident was declared on 12 July.

Data from the European Forest Fire Information System analysed by BBC Verify has estimated the fire had burned 606 hectares (1,497 acres).

The fire service said the temporary repairs were needed to help crews tackle the fire as effectively as possible.

"Spanning a significant gully, the bridge could no longer be safely crossed by specialist vehicles such as the Argocat, restricting movement into a key area of the incident and hindering firefighting operations," a statement said.

"This temporary solution helped restore full access to this area, enabling firefighters and other on-ground teams to safely cross the gully and continue supporting the response."

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