Firefighters are continuing to tackle a peatland fire at Holme Fen Nature Reserve in Cambridgeshire that started 11 days ago on August 8.
Fire Size and Depth
The fire near Peterborough covers an area measuring around 60 football pitches and is deep-seated in peat, according to Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service. Peat is formed over thousands of years by the partial decomposition of organic matter, mainly plant material, in wetlands.
Peat fires can spread underground and are "notoriously difficult to extinguish", the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire said on its website for The Great Fen.
Nature Reserve Details
Holme Fen is described as a "thriving nature reserve" which includes Holme Post, which at 2.75 metres below sea level is said to be the lowest land point in Great Britain.
The fire service said crews are expected to remain at the scene "for the foreseeable future" while working to also maintain cover for other emergencies.
Ongoing Operations
More than 80 firefighters, including crews from neighbouring fire and rescue services, have been involved in the operation since the fire started on August 8.
Incident commander Wayne Swales said in an earlier update that vegetation had been on fire as well as peat burning below the ground. He said crews were dealing with "fires above ground, fires below ground" and described the fire as "challenging".
Firefighters have been checking for hotspots and dampening down the area, and advising people who are still seeing or smelling smoke in the area that it is "likely still coming from Holme Fen".
