Cloud’s slopes are reduced to scorched earth

By Chris Young
A black scar covering 15 acres has been seared into the side of The Cloud after a heather fire ripped across the landmark peak. Flames 40-feet high leapt into the night sky on Saturday as 30 firefighters from across Cheshire tackled the blaze. One eyewitness said: “I was watching the fire from Congleton and it looked like a volcano was erupting.”
Birds
And although the hillside inferno spared nearby farms and houses, the National Trust fears the habitats of birds and other animals has been severely harmed. An investigation into the cause is still underway.
Called
Congleton firefighters were called to the Cloud at around 7.30pm on Saturday, and were soon joined by colleagues from Macclesfield, Biddulph, Sandbach, Northwich, Leek and Burslem. John Griffiths, watch manager at Congleton fire station at the time the fire started, told the “Chronicle” that the fire brigade was at the scene for at least 12 hours. He added: “The fire picked up with the wind, and was spreading about as fast as you could walk. At times the flames were as high as 40 foot.” He said the uneven terrain of the Cloud made it difficult for firefighters weighed down by their equipment. He said: “As well as the danger of the fire there was a real chance of people falling down the hillside as there are no railings and it was dark.” He said police were investigating the incident, but it was unclear whether the fire was deliberate or accidental, and a stray cigarette or glass bottle could have caused the dry vegetation ignite. The National Trust owns much of the land at the Cloud. Spokesman Debbie Peers said: “It spread through about 15 acres. Our concern was with it being spring there would be nesting birds and a number of amphibians. We did come across some cooked birds eggs.” She said the heather was especially dry due to the run of warm weather, and advised visitors to be careful when disposing of cigarettes or barbeques.
Damage
On the damage it caused she added: “Green shoots will probably start coming through soon, but there will probably be a scar there for the next year or so.”

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