Large blaze breaks out on moorlands near village

A huge fire has broken out on moorlands in Greater Manchester with nearby residents warned to keep their windows and doors closed.

The blaze was visible for miles on Wednesday night with smoke billowing into the sky north of Oldham, near the village of Diggle.

Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service urged people to avoid the area until the morning.

It said fire crews were in attendance near Huddersfield Road and Holmfirth Road.

A photo shared by a resident showed large orange flames lining the crest of a hill on the moor, with plumes of smoke pouring across the hills.

Steve Kay said he saw the smoke from his home.

"Fire engines attended and as it went on the fire seemed to get bigger with a number of farmers in 4x4s possibly taking the fire crews to the scene," he said.

"The fire is still going strong."

The cause of the fire has not been confirmed.

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