Holme Fen fire stood down as major incident
Yaxley Community Fire and Rescue StationA fire that engulfed about half of a nature reserve has been stood down as a major incident more than two weeks after the blaze broke out.
At its peak about 100 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze at Holme Fen, near Peterborough, with crews due to remain there until at least mid-September.
Firefighters from across the country, including Merseyside, who had travelled to help with the incident have been withdrawn.
Matthew Warren, the chief fire officer of Cambridgeshire Fire Service, said the decision was a "significant milestone".
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Holme Fen contains deep peat soil, which has posed challenges for firefighters.
Peat fires can be difficult to extinguish because they can spread underground without producing obvious flames or large amounts of smoke.
Warren said pools of water have recently been found underground, which would prevent the fire from spreading further.
"We are reducing crews at the scene down to two in the day and one at night while the clearing continues and we will monitor this daily," he added.
Warren thanked the national resilience firefighters who supported Cambridgeshire Fire Service to allow it to retain crews to attend other incidents.
"Individuals have been days, and for some, weeks away from home and this has been hard labour too, dirty, hot and physically draining at times, but their willingness and commitment to help has been unwavering and impressive," he added.
He asked people to continue to stay away from the area.
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