FIREFIGHTERS have been called out to grass and hedge fires across York and North Yorkshire after weeks without rain have left the region tinder dry.

A York crew tackled a hedge on fire in Osbaldwick this morning, while a crew from Selby was called last night to a grass fire in Primrose Dene, Byram, affecting an area of 100 square metres.

Another grass and bush fire off Pyramid Court in York last night was extinguished by a worker from a nearby business with a fire extinguisher prior to the arrival of firefighters. The cause was believed to be deliberate.

Another grass fire was started deliberately in an area of cleared woodland off Doublegates Avenue, Ripon, last night. A crew used two knapsack sprayers and a shovel to extinguish it.

The North York Moors National Park issued an alert warning of extreme fire risks earlier this week and firefighters tackled a huge moorland fire near Saddleworth Moor, outside Manchester, which spread across seven square miles, in six different areas, with military assistance requested to help battle the blaze.

The risks are set to worsen in coming days, as forecasters see little prospect of any significant rainfall for at least the next fortnight, with temperatures set to remain in the mid-20sC.

As our image shows, the lack of rain has turned the grassy banks of York's Bar Walls brown instead of green.