Army live-firing exercise causes two grassland blazes
- Published
Smoke from the fire can be seen from miles away
Grass fires at a military training area in Northumberland were caused by sparks from bullets, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has confirmed.
The two fires, 15km apart, have been burning in Otterburn since Sunday.
The area contains possible unexploded ordinance so the MOD said no attempt was being made to extinguish them.
The fires, which are each about one square kilometre in size, are being monitored. There is as yet no risk to buildings or roads, the MOD said.
The site, which forms part of the Northumberland National Park, is the UK's second largest live-firing range and has been used for military training since 1911.
Otterburn Training Area was set up in 1911 by the then-Home Secretary Sir Winston Churchill