Mile-long fire hits Exmoor National Park

A 1500-acre swathe of moorland in the Exmoor National Park has been devastated by fire.

Eyewitnesses said the fire, which started on Friday afternoon in a remote area between Simonsbath and Exford in Somerset, was a mile long at its peak.

More than 100 firefighters, drawn from 12 stations across Devon and Somerset, were called in to tackle the blaze.

The fire was driven by high winds and became so dangerous that the firefighters had to abandon efforts to contain it as darkness fell on Friday night.

“Crews were tackling the blaze from three directions using hose reels and fire beaters,” a Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue spokesman told the BBC at the weekend.

“The police helicopter is providing us with an aerial view of the fire,” the spokesman added.