Our Burning Home!!

There aren't words to describe some things. A brief interruption to what was planned. Don't worry, that's coming next time.

This is going to be a quick one but, for anyone who doesn't know, Rivington Pike and the surrounding areas have been in flames recently, the entire hills one huge inferno! The intense summer heat and lack of rain the last few weeks has dried the area somewhat and Arsonists have decided to set the area ablaze, not once, but several times!!

I have no words. I see the burning hill every day on my way to work, every day as I go into town. I can smell its smoke constantly! This has been burning for around a week now!

Here's just a few of the countless news stories about it:

Crews battling another large moor fire on Rivington Pike

Arsonists spotted starting new fires near scene of massive moorland blaze

Winter Hill fire may burn for days, fire crews fear

I understand all of it, just animals following thier nature, that's the why. It'd be fair if those responsible were themselves burned (not to death, lets not go anywhere near that dark) but the sheer smoke inhalation alone in the surrounding areas has destroyed so much life, let alone the fires themselves. There's babies in those smoke covered areas, people and animals! I've volunteered in those gardens, I've roamed those hills since I was a child and I mourn this senseless destruction.

When the area is safe I will try to go there and capture some of the damage, if nothing else as an act of respect for its passing, at nature wounded. Until then I will focus on the posts I have coming up for you, my work and my other hobbies but this is a hard blow and I do mourn. I just yearn to see the damage for myself, once its safe.

I urge all of you to stay away from the area until its safe! Some people have crossed the police lines to explore the destruction but have suffocated due to smoke inhalation and were found by the emergency services almost by chance, they can't cover an entire hill at once.

We all mourn this together, whether we're passionate about nature or just live here, we can all see that blazing hill every day and it breaks all of our hearts, such pointless destruction, there's little more abhorent to me.

Anyway, thankyou for giving me an avenue to vent. I hope to bring you images of this disaster eventually so that we may mourn together.

Thank you.
All the best!

Some Hippy with a Camera