Wildfire blazes in woods for eight hours

A wildfire blazed across woodland with fire crews battling for eight hours to bring it under control.

The fire, near Warcop at Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, was reported at 13:46 BST on Tuesday.

Six fire engines along with four specialist wildfire teams managed to bring the fire under control but have continued to monitor it in case of further reignitions.

Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the fire is not yet known and remains under investigation.

It comes after the on-call watch manager at Appleby fire station Neil Aitken told the BBC how wildfires can take a toll on people's livelihoods, obliterate wildlife and put firefighters' lives at risk.

Cumbria has been hit by a number of wildfires this year as hot dry weather persists across the county.

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