In reply to afx22:
Update from Calderdale Moorland Group including a photo of a roasted grouse and chick, and a correction to my assumption it was burned during management. Apparently it's cut there due to peat depth but the photos all show it in the uncut rough vegetation. A good contrast visible on satellite imagery!
**The Aftermath
Following on from our post last night, we can inform you all the fire was brought under control around 1am this morning, we were pleased to see the heavy rain which helped dampen down the hotspots.
We believe the fire has damaged around 60-70 acres which is devastating at this time of the year with not only game birds nesting but also red listed waders and songs birds.
This area is deep peat which gamekeepers under regulations can not conduct control burning, this area has had fire breaks put in with a tractor and cutter before the nesting season. Which helped to slow the fire down, giving the gamekeepers chance to control it. However, if the area could have been burnt using cool burning the fire would have been smaller again, due the less fuel load.
As you can see from the pictures below the hen grouse and her chicks do not stand a chance in wild fires
Well done to the gamekeepers for their rapid response and the support given from West Yorkshire fire and rescue and local farmers