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Soldiers have arrived and are helping fight a moorland fire in Greater Manchester that could rage "for weeks".

About 100 troops from the 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, were sent from their barracks in Catterick, North Yorkshire, overnight.

Military assistance was requested to help battle the blaze near Saddleworth Moor which has spread across 7 square miles, in six different areas.

A Chinook helicopter on standby to help has been stood down.

About 60 firefighters worked overnight to subdue pockets of flames across the moorland above Stalybridge.

The Chinook helicopter was due to fly out of RAF Odiham, Hampshire, to move water-pumping equipment but Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) notified the Ministry of Defence it was "no longer required".

Tony Hunter, assistant chief fire officer for GMFRS, said the helicopter was still "available as a resource if we need it".

He said: "We will revise our tactical plan and assess the fires across the moorlands to see if and when it is appropriate to be used."

Mr Hunter said the military would provide "essential support".

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He said the fire was "smouldering away at the moment", adding, "we can see this being prolonged for days if not weeks, particularly with the fact that the wind has drawn the fires towards the residential but actually away from the centre of the moor."

"The fire is contained at the moment, but we only need a change of wind direction to see the fire increase. We are working hard to keep on top of the blaze."

He said what was needed most was "a significant downpour of rain" - but none has been forecast.

Mr Hunter said the soldiers' help would allow the service to keep other fire stations and engines available to deal with emergency calls as the moorland blaze continues.

At the scene, Inzy Rashid, BBC News

It was a dramatic scene as the Army marched up to Higher Swineshaw Reservoir to meet with the fire crews and within the hour they were out trying to tackle some of the fires.

There were a number of fire engines constantly coming up the narrow track to the reservoir and the United Utilities helicopter has started collecting water to drop on parts of the blaze the troops cannot reach.

Looking across the landscape you see pockets of fire with huge plumes billowing across the moorland.

Back at Carrbrook near Stalybridge there are firefighters and troops right across the village.

Residents say it is quite exciting but they are hoping they emergency services can do their job and life can return to normal.

But you can just feel it getting hotter and hotter, hour by hour - the right conditions for the fires to flare up again.

GMFRS has faced many hurdles in trying to quell the blaze that has raged for days including frequent changes in wind direction, the heavy concentration of flammable peat in the ground and the tinder-dry foliage which has baked in searing temperatures.

About 100 soldiers will join over 100 firefighters throughout the day to support the effort by managing water lines and assisting in fire beating.

RAF Wing Commander Tony Lane said: "We will make sure the soldiers are working alongside the fire and rescue personnel so they are going to be pairing up together.

"I think we are looking at one firefighter to three or four troops, so they can provide extra manpower to go and support them."

• Moorland fire in pictures
• How do you tackle a moorland blaze?

Dave Keelan, director of emergency response at GMFRS, said military intervention would allow firefighters to access more remote areas "so we can get there quicker with more people with the water supplies we hope to put in place to try and resolve the incident in a quicker nature".

On Wednesday, firefighters had faced the arduous task of hauling pumps and hoses for up to two miles in blistering heat to reach parts of the fire.

Greater Manchester Police deployed a helicopter to assess the scene and United Utilities provided a helicopter to drop water on to remote areas.

Having started on Sunday the blaze was initially brought under control but reignited on Monday and has continued throughout the hot and dry weather this week.

About 150 people were forced to leave their homes in the village of Carrbrook on Tuesday evening as the fire encroached.

The majority had returned by Wednesday afternoon.

Donations of drinks and food parcels are being collected at Stalybridge Fire Station to help residents and those fighting the fire.

Dr Richard Bircher, of Lockside Medical Centre in Stalybridge, said he had treated nine "normally fit and healthy" people for chest complaints and breathing difficulties.

"Chest complaints can develop for a number of reasons but I think it's safe to assume the smoke is the main factor behind the increase," he said.

Dr Bircher said he expected the number of people seeking treatment would continue to rise as smoke lingered, particularly among older people, but added there had been no increase in hospital admissions.

He praised the response of Tameside's social care services and fellow GPs who had opened late to meet the extra demand for appointments and advised anybody exposed to smoke to continue to wear dust masks and seek advice if they developed breathing problems.