Arrests made over Ilkley Moor fire

Read West Yorkshire Police's statement here 

Firefighters remain at the scene and a helicopter is being used to drop water on to the moor.

Around 250,000 square metres of moorland is involved, a fire chief has said.

• Ilkley Moor fire enters a second day

Speaking to the BBC, Martin Langan, group manager at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Lunchtime will be our critical period because that’s the hottest part of the day and right up until that point we’re watching to see if there’s any further outbreaks of fire.

“At this moment, I can confirm that it’s mainly smoke and heated debris that’s blowing around, but we’re looking out for further scenes of fire in the area.”

(Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

A helicopter drops water on Ilkley Moor. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

A helicopter drops water on Ilkley Moor. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

He added:“It is early in the year, but obviously we’ve had quite a short but pleasant spell of hot weather, so that, with the combination of members of the public going out and enjoying their Easter break, it’s probably contributed to a fire earlier than normal.

He warned people: “Please stay away from the area for now. We’re obviously going to be here for the majority of today and possibly into the evening.

“From a safety point of view, you’re just better off staying away and viewing this from afar because we’ve got an ongoing operation and we’re likely to be here for some time.”

Owen Wells, chairman of the Friends of Ilkley Moor group, said: "The Friends of Ilkley Moor can only express their appreciation to the members of the emergency services who have now brought this fire under control.

"It is probable that the danger of the fire restarting will probably remain until the rainy weather that is forecast for later this week."

He said the fire has affected an area of the moor from White Wells through to Backstone Beck and from the Rocky Valley down to the Tarn.