A FIRE crew made Rivington barn its adopted home for the weekend as they talked to the public about the risk of barbecues and other human activities causing moorland fires.

Firefighters from the Horwich station took their fire engine down to the Rivington Hall Barn to educate and entertain visitors.

Inviting kids to play on the fire engines, those on the front line of the fires then took time to explain to families why barbecues and other summer activities create a serious risk of accidental moorland fires.

The crew advised the public that fires on the moors can easily spread and become ferocious very quickly in the right conditions. The crews then gave Rivington visitors tips on how to reduce the possibility of a fire.

This is not the first time that firefighters have been tasked with educating the general public about how accidental moorland blazes can be started.

Last year saw a spate of moorland fires across the North West, including Winter Hill fire which had a particular impact on residents in neighbouring Rivington.

The Winter Hill fire broke out on June 28, 2018 and burned for 41 days, demanding contributions from helicopter teams, drones and the military to get the blaze under control.

Fire crews have said that the fire may still be burning now underground on the hill, almost a year later.

Since the historic Winter Hill fire, those who spent more than a month extinguishing it have spoken out about the dangers of barbecues as well as people who attempted get a look at the fire while it was still raging.

One of the Winter Hill operation's leaders was Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s wildfire lead officer Ady Taylor.

Boasting 22 years in the fire service, station manager Taylor covers Bolton North and Horwich and was among the first responders to the fire.

Speaking at a community event in Over Hulton, he said: “It was like something out of Apocalypse Now. It’s the worst wildfire I’ve ever been on. I don’t ever think we’ll see it again.”