FIRE-starting yobs have been blamed for a series of grass blazes in the East Lancashire countryside.

More than 100 firefighters and 15 pumps spent five hours battling a grass fire near Hurstwood above Burnley.

Elsewhere crews spent hours fighting similar blazes between Higher Croft and Ewood in Blackburn and off Branch Road in Lower Darwen.

Firefighters blamed troublemakers for the blazes.

Crew manager David Hilliard said that throughout Sunday afternoon in Blackburn as his officers were putting out one grass fire youngsters could be seen starting another one.

While in Burnley crew manager Kieron Ogden said the blaze was so fierce that it was only brought under control when a special “soft track” off-road vehicle was brought in to aid their efforts.

Firefighters from Burnley, Nelson, Rawtenstall and Blackburn stations, as well as some from West Yorkshire were involved in fighting the blaze, off Gorple Road.

Mr Hilliard said: “These incidents were the result of deliberate fire setting. We could see that as we were fighting one, another was being started further up the hill.

“They can turn into quite serious incidents. We were really struggling for resources because of all of the fires elsewhere.”

Mr Ogden said crews were using ‘aquapacks’ to tackle the flames, before putting them out with beaters.

He said: “The flames were very high because the ground was so dry.

“The size of the fire, more than half a square mile, shows how just a little fire can really take hold and spread.

“Even if it was a deliberately set fire it shows how careful people need to be when out walking. Cigarettes are dangerous if not put out properly.”

Crew manager Caroline Sturgess, from Darwen fire station, said crews were out for three hours from 6.30pm on Sunday fighting fires off Branch Road.

She said: “These fires have stripped large areas of the countryside bare.

“It caused havoc. There were so many firefighters out tackling these fires that it left the area very vulnerable.”