FIREFIGHTERS faced a desperate race against time to save a rare North-East moorland habitat last night.
About 1,000 square metres of Waldridge Fell, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, was ablaze yesterday.
The first firefighters, who were on the scene at 2.45pm, had to call for reinforcements, as brisk winds fanned the flames.
By 5pm, six fire engines from across the North were involved, along with two specialist appliances.
Waldridge Fell Country Park is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.
It is one of the few remaining areas in the North-East of Lowland Heath - moorland at less than 500ft above sea level.
It also includes broadleaf woodland and wetland or bog, providing a home for a wide variety of plants, such as heather, bilberry, matt grass and tormentil.
In turn, these support animal species such as the weasel, vole, common lizard, cuckoo, meadow pipit and two butterflies - the Green Haistreak and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary.
A nearby wetland project, run by Chester-le-Street Federation of Environment Groups, is also home to the great crested newt, which is one of the most protected species in Britain.
The moorland was the focus of a three-hectare fire in July last year.
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