LONDON (Reuters) – Wildfires broke out on marshland outside the English city of Liverpool on Saturday, threatening nearby property, authorities said.
Footage posted by locals on social media showed a sprawling fire and plumes of smoke rising high into the sky around the Parkgate nature reserve on the Wirral Peninsula, about seven miles (11 km) south of Liverpool.
The blaze affected around 500 square metres (598 square yards) of marshland and was probably started deliberately, the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said.
In its last update at 2117 GMT, the service said it had set up fire breaks and reduced the number of engines in attendance to five from six previously.
(Reporting by Phil Noble; writing by Andy Bruce; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
