OVER SEVENTY firefighters tackled a large open-air fire on Dartmoor this afternoon (January 26th) .

Crews were called to Willsworthy Range just after three o’clock this afternoon and intially two pumps and an off road vehicle from Tavistock and Yelverton were sent to the scene.

On arrival crews requested assistance from another 2 fire engines and an additional off road vehicle. These were duly dispatched from Okehampton and Hatherleigh.

The incident was a grass fire with a fire front three quarters of a mile long which was being being fanned by strong winds.

A fire service spokesman said: "At 3.45pm crews requested further assistance and a further 4 fire engines were sent from Bere Alston, Princetown, North Tawton and Chagford as well as a water bowser from Plympton and the Command Support Unit from Honiton."

"At 4.30pm the request was made to control to ’Make pumps 13’ and additional fire engines were sent from Crownhill, Torrington, Launceston and Callington (both from Cornwall), as well as a water bowser from Liskeard in Cornwall."

Crews fought the fire across six fronts and the blaze, which spread across 2 miles of moorland, was believed to have been extinguished just after 6pm.Willsworthy Range is part of the Dartmoor Training Area and is used by the armed forces for live firing. Firing had been scheduled during the day but it is not known if this was the cause of the fire which was believed to be accidental.