By Claudia Bowes

Copyright thescarboroughnews

The session provided a clear and candid overview of the incident, the emergency response and the ongoing recovery efforts. Speaking after the meeting, Deputy Mayor Jo Coles said: “The Langdale fire is an ongoing incident and has been the largest wildfire North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (NYFRS) has ever had to respond to. “I want to thank the tireless efforts of all our firefighters and those from other fire and rescue services who have worked so hard to keep us all safe recently. “I also want to thank the firefighters’ partners, families, the employers of on-call firefighters, as well as farmers, contractors and businesses who have come together to tackle the Langdale incident and to bring it under control. “Work to assess the cause of the incident and a post-incident review will be carried out by North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.” At the online meeting, Ben Illsley, the Area Manager and Director of Emergency Response and Training at NYFRS provided a detailed briefing on the major fire near RAF Fylingdales, first reported on August 12 2025. The incident escalated to a major incident status with up to 20 pumps deployed, covering approximately five square kilometres at its peak. A separate fire which broke out close to The Flask Inn on the A171 was also tackled nearby. By August 27, the fire was contained, with control lines established and ongoing efforts to manage hotspots. The incident presented significant challenges, including unexploded military ordnance, extreme weather conditions, multiple fire fronts, deep peat and dry vegetation, limited access and water supply, and a lack of natural fire breaks. NYFRS and partners maintained a continuous presence throughout. Mr Illsley praised the ‘exceptional’ work of the local farming community and thanks were also extended to NYFRS personnel, on-call firefighter employers, UK fire services, partner agencies, the Local Resilience Forum, local landowners, the MOD, contractors, mine response teams, gamekeepers, and the wider community for their support and collaboration. David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: “Our firefighters have contained the wildfire that has been affecting the Langdale and Fylingdales area over the last few weeks. “We are now moving into the recovery process, but there are still risks of smoke and flare-ups of the fire. Fylingdales Moor also has the risk of unexploded ordnance and the public footpaths in the area remain closed. “The fire has had a big impact on our environment and on tourism. So, we will be stepping in to see where we can offer support.” A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said in a further update on Friday (September 19): “The 30mph restriction on sections of the A171 and B1416 have now been removed, but smoke from flare ups may affect viability so we ask that people drive with caution. “Nearby lay-bys remain closed as do some walking/cycle routes. Please don’t walk or cycle in areas damaged by the fire.”