Snake Pass Wildfire Under Control After Road Closure

Firefighters brought a large moorland wildfire at Snake Pass Summit in the Peak District under control late Friday evening, after the blaze erupted late Thursday night and forced the closure of the A57 road linking Sheffield and Manchester.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service received reports of the fire around 9 p.m. Thursday. By Friday, it had engulfed approximately 900,000 square meters of moorland, producing a thick smoke plume that reduced visibility on surrounding roads and wafted as far as parts of Greater Manchester, including Tameside, Oldham, Stockport, and areas near Hyde. Residents in Glossop reported a strong smoke smell overnight, with some describing it as overpowering.

The A57 Snake Pass, a key route between Glossop and Ladybower Reservoir, was closed in both directions during the height of the incident but reopened to traffic Friday night. Derbyshire Police urged drivers to avoid stopping on verges or laybys near Snake Summit to aid emergency operations.

More than a dozen fire engines from Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire tackled the flames, supported by the Peak District Fire Operations Group, local gamekeepers, landowners, and...