The cause of the wildfire in Delamere Forest has been officially recorded as "accidental due to high ambient temperatures".
The confirmation from Cheshire authorities comes almost a week after the blaze broke out near Barnsbridge Gates car park at around 5.40pm on Tuesday, July 19. Eight five crews were called to reports of a fire at the beauty spot by a ranger. The blaze was described as "deep seated" and covered a section 40m by 40m in the woodland.
Fire crews battled through the night to bring the blaze under control. A police cordon was also put in place while fire crews worked. An update the following day confirmed the incident had been handed over to forest rangers.
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The Cheshire Police Rural Crime Team posted on its Facebook in the following days that the incident was "potentially caused by a disposable barbecue or open fire". But now police and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the cause was accidental.
A spokesperson for Cheshire Police confirmed to CheshireLive : "The fire has now been confirmed as accidental and caused by the extreme temperatures." A spokesperson for the fire service added: "It has been officially recorded as accidental due to high ambient temperatures and not recorded as a barbecue or deliberate fire."
The rural crime team said the fire had " caused significant damage " to some of the trees and to the ground. They added it would have had an affect on wildlife in the area. The post read: "Luckily due to the great work of Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service the fire was contained however could have easily spread much further.
"Where the fire has taken, this has caused significant damage to the ground and trees which will have an impact on any nesting birds or other wildlife within that area." It added: "Please remember if you are visiting Delamere Forest - Forestry England there is a strict no fires policy in place with this incident being one of the key reasons why."
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