FIREFIGHTERS from across the North West battled three grass blazes in one night, two of which may be suspicious.

Crews from Greater Manchester and Lancashire attended the largest fire on land off Rivington Road, Belmont, Lancashire just after 7pm on Sunday night.

It took until 9.30pm, when light was fading, to ensure the 80,000sqm area was safe.

Six fire engines were scrambled, as well as a specialist forced air firefighting unit.

The fire caused extensive damage to grass and heather, but no one was injured.

Later at 10.15pm, four fire engines attended another fire on land off Sheep House Lane.

Both fires may have been the result of arson, but equally they may have caused by carelessness, causing destruction to plants and potentially killing wildlife.

Watch manager Pete Gray, from Bolton North fire station, urged people to take extra care.

Mr Gray said: "People need to be extra vigilant with smoking materials, portable barbecues or anything that could set the grass on fire.

"Fortunately nobody was injured, but it is a huge strain on our resources."

Crew manager Jason Martin, from Horwich fire station, said of the Sheep House Lane fire: "It had rained so it wasn't so bad, if it had been a dry night it could have been a lot worse.

"The fact that it was close to the road makes it quite suspicious, either it was something careless, like a discarded cigarette, or deliberate."

Mr Martin echoed Mr Gray's comments urging people to be extra vigilant.

Both blazes followed another grass fire in the area earlier on Sunday afternoon.

At approximately 5pm crews from Bolton North and Lancashire attended another, smaller grass fire off Belmont Road, near to the Black Dog pub.

Passers-by watched as firefighters tried to battle back the flames, but they kept re-igniting, eyewitnesses said.

Mick Hodson, day watch manager at Bolton North fire station, said: “The fire was about 50m by 100m and we were lucky that the conditions were quite damp.

"On a summer’s day it could have spread a lot worse.”

Earlier this month, on Sunday, April 9, fire crews fought a blaze close to the Chinese Gardens near Rivington Pike.