Dovestone Reservoir moorland fire still burning as walkers turned away

The fire at Dovestone began on Saturday (July 11), and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) has been working round the clock to contain the spread since then.

The Oldham Times visited the site this morning (July 16), where smoke was still coming from the moorland, with patches spread across several spaces.

The moors near Dovestone Reservoir have been on fire for several days (Image: NQ)

All entrances to Dovestone were cordoned off by the police and several walkers were turned away during the time an Oldham Times reporter was in attendance.

One man, who was trying to access the reservoir, said: “It’s just awful.

“I didn’t realise that the whole reservoir was closed, and I come here all the time, so it’s disappointing to get here and find it closed.

Smoke coming from moorland near Dovestone (Image: NQ)

“It’s the wildlife I really fear for, so many animals live on these moors, from farm animals to wild ones like hares and deer.

“I can’t bear to think how many of them have lost their home, or worse, died.”

@theoldhamtimes Dovestone is burning for a fifth day today after a fire began on July 11. A 20-year- old woman has been charged with aggravated arson and other offences in relation to the fire. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Sevice has said that the fire remains a ‘complex and active’ incident. #dovestone #dovestonefire ♬ original sound – The Oldham Times

Dave Bell, who owns The Old Cobblers in Greenfield, which is down the road from Dovestone, said: “It’s kind of annoyingly inevitable.

“I think that something more severe needs to be done to stop it, because it does happen, and, you know, if there’s no rain, it’s going to happen.

“It’s always something that sets it off, at least once a year.

A sign showing the risk of moorland fires near the incident (Image: NQ)

“So I don’t really know what the answer is, but maybe stronger restrictions regarding who goes there, what they take up there, whether there needs to be security, whether we need to think about permits for the people that go there, so that they know who they are, because it is obviously a massive problem.

“I think if you asked the fire brigade, they’d say there’s a huge problem.”

Greater Manchester Police confirmed that a 20-year-old woman had been charged with aggravated arson in relation to the fire.

The moors near Dovestone Reservoir have been on fire for several days (Image: NQ)

Shania Care-Slede, of Market Street in Hyde, appeared before Manchester Magistrates Court on July 14, where the case was referred to the Crown Court.

She will appear before Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on August 18, when she will be asked to enter a plea to the charges.

She was also charged with being reckless as to whether life was endangered and dangerous driving.