Artist, 28, who unintentionally brought on three day blaze on Marsden Moor that was tackled by 100 firefighters after he set off a firework in entrance of his girlfriend is jailed for a yr
- Viktor Riedly set off a firework in entrance of his girlfriend on the night of April 25
- It caught hearth and the flames shortly unfold throughout Marsden Moor, in Yorkshire
- Greater than 100 firefighters tackled the hearth which was declared a serious incident
- It was estimated to have price £500,000 in injury and emergency sources
- Reidly, 28, pleaded responsible to 1 rely of arson and was at this time jailed for a yr
A person has been jailed for unintentionally inflicting a 3 day moorland blaze that was tackled by greater than 100 firefighters after he set off a firework in entrance of his girlfriend.
Viktor Riedly 28, headed up Marsden Moor, in Yorkshire, on the night of April 25, 2021, the place he lit the explosive, igniting the massive blaze.
Leeds Crown Court docket heard he tried to extinguish the flames but it surely quickly unfold uncontrolled, overlaying 285 hectares of moorland.
It was ultimately declared a serious incident, with greater than 100 firefighters coming from throughout West Yorkshire to deliver it below management, earlier than it was lastly extinguished three days in a while the morning of April 28.
The hearth brought on widespread injury to Marsden Moor, which is a website of particular scientific curiosity, and was estimated to have price £500,000 in injury and emergency service sources.
Riedly pleaded responsible to 1 rely of arson and was at this time jailed for a yr.
Talking following the decision, West Yorkshire Hearth and Rescue Service Space Supervisor Scott Donegan stated: 'We as a service very a lot welcome the sentence handed out at this time and hope it reminds others to not begin fires on our moorland.
'This hearth brought on big injury to the surroundings on the moor and required a big response from WYFRS.
'Fires like these are the explanation now we have Public House Safety Orders banning flammable objects like fireworks, barbeques and fires on moorland - they will have a devastating influence on the sensible areas we're fortunate sufficient to have in West Yorkshire.'
Leeds Crown Court docket heard Riedly had tried to movie the firework being set off, together with his girlfriend carrying the recording tools up the moorland.
However after realising one thing had gone mistaken he tried unsuccessfully to place the hearth out with a bottle of water and his personal clothes.
The hearth shortly unfold and was declared a serious incident whereas firefighters, the Nationwide Belief, native authorities and area people teams labored on the scene.
The hearth destroyed treasured peatland habitat and harmed wildlife together with floor nesting birds.
The hearth service stated restoration work following the hearth has already begun, with 65,000 sphagnum moss plugs planted throughout Marsden Moor over autumn and winter.
A lot of the planting has been achieved by volunteers, together with native college kids and firefighters from Meltham and Slaithwaite Hearth Station.