Retained firefighters from the district’s northern response units were dispatched to an emergency callout following reports of smoke rising from open ground near Barton. Upon arrival, emergency crews discovered an active campfire that had been completely abandoned by wild campers, with the embers beginning to catch the surrounding dry grass. Firefighters utilised high-pressure hose reels to thoroughly saturate and cool the area before the blaze could spread into neighbouring farm hedgerows. Safety coordinators are reminding all hikers and campers that, with summer peatlands currently highly vulnerable, lighting any open fire or disposable barbecue remains strictly illegal across the Dales to prevent devastating environmental disasters.
Fire Crews Mobilised to Extinguish Unattended Campfire Blazing Near Barton
22 June 2026
Emergency services are urging the public to remember the strict bans on open flames across our rural spaces, after fire crews were scrambled to extinguish an unattended campfire burning out of control near Barton