Firefighters have begged people to not start deliberate fires as people are urged to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Crews from Bacup, Burnley, and Preston were all called to a moorland fire at Worsthorne Estate, Burnley, earlier today.

Residents reportedly told the crews that it had been started by a group of youths.

Group Manager Shaun Walton from Lancashire Fire and Rescue posted the plea to Twitter earlier this evening.

He said: "Wildfires are dangerous at any time but please don’t start deliberate fires now."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wildfires are dangerous at any time but please don’t start deliberate fires now, crews from <a href="https://twitter.com/BacupFire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BacupFire</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BurnleyFire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BurnleyFire</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Preston_Fire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Preston_Fire</a> have attended a moorland fire at Worsthorne Estate Burnley, local residents report it was started by youths. <a href="https://twitter.com/LancashireFRS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LancashireFRS</a> <a href="https://t.co/OloBzA8nPf">pic.twitter.com/OloBzA8nPf</a></p>— Shaun Walton 🚒🔥 (@Walton_FIRE) <a href="https://twitter.com/Walton_FIRE/status/1242537844956114945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Crews were reportedly on scene for an hour and a half controlling the fire off Gorple Road.