Footage captures moment tree catches fire during heatwave

Shocking video footage shows the moment a tree caught fire on a main road in Tameside on Sunday night.

Fire crews were called to the blaze on Oldham Road, Ashton under Lyne, at around 10:30pm on Sunday 17 July, and extinguished the blaze quickly.

Dramatic footage posted to a local Facebook group shows grass and shrubs catching on fire, before it spreads and sets light to a nearby tree.

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Massimino Malacrino captured the scene after he spotted it on his way home from a wedding. He told the Manchester Evening News he called fire crews immediately, before turning his camera to the fire.

He was quick to point out how dry the foliage was due to the current heatwave, which saw temperatures climb to over 30C over the weekend.

The video shows broken tree branches on the ground catching alight, before the flames climb up the tree itself. A man in the background can be heard exclaiming "It's not a f***ing bush, it's a bloody tree! Not a bush. Jesus. It's a beautiful tree, as well."

The cause of the fire is currently unknown. A spokesperson for GMFRS said: “At approximately 10.30pm on Sunday, 18th July firefighters were called to reports for a fire on Oldham Road, in Ashton-under-Lyne.

“One fire engine from Ashton station quickly attended the scene. Firefighters extinguished the fire and were in attendance for just under 10 minutes.”

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