FIREFIGHTERS are investigating after a spate of wildfires broke out across south Cumbria.

One fire at Lowick Common, near Ulverston, on Sunday night, swept across half a square kilometre of moorland and is the biggest grass fire blaze to hit Cumbria in several years.

While the cause of four fires is still unknown, two on Friday in the Broughton-in-Furness area started after farmers lost control of gorse they were burning to encourage new grass growth.

Duncan Taylor, Cumbria Fire Service’s wildfire project officer, said: “It’s quite difficult to establish what has caused these fires.

"Some were definitely caused by farmers’ fires getting out of control and some of them we don’t know.

"Lowick Common is not an area which farmers would be burning on and the fire started well after dark.”

The fires on Friday were at Low Moss Farm, Broughton-in-Furness, and Hazel Head Farm, Ulpha, which took five hours to extinguish because of the steep terrain.

On Sunday fires broke out at Heathwaite Farm, Grizebeck, at 4.10pm and Gummers Howe, Windermere, at 7.30pm.

On Monday there was a small blaze at High Newton, Grange-over-Sands, at 12.20pm.

No one was injured in any of the blazes although fire-fighters considered evacuating homes around Birker Fell in the Duddon Valley.

Some of the fires needed as many as eight fire engines to put them out.

Firefighters are blaming the recent dry weather for why fires are quickly getting out-of-control.

Helen Chivers, of the Met Office, said: “Cumbria has been extremely dry for the past two-and-a-half months, with February receiving only half its average rainfall and in March so far, there’s only been two per cent of the normal rainfall.

"This combined with bright sunshine in the North West will have dried out the ground and foilage.”

Brian Steadman, Kendal fire station manager, said farmers should be more vigilant when lighting gorse fires.

He said: “They should inform fire control at Cockermouth and use at least two or three beaters.”