Saddleworth Moor, just outside Manchester, has been ablaze since Sunday night, leading to more than 50 homes in the area being evacuated.
Residents of Carrbrook, near Stalybridge, were forced to leave their homes on Tuesday night as the fire, which spans a distance of nearly 4 miles, continued to spread.
Firefighters at the scene told Manchester Evening News that the blaze, powered by a downward wind, is now believed to be as close as 200 metres to houses.
Around 50 firefighters from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, with support from fire and rescue services in neighbouring Derbyshire, are working to tackle the fire.
“Our fire crews have been working in tremendously difficult circumstances and I would like to thank all of our firefighters, partners, volunteers, and the public for their support and hard work throughout this incident," GMFRS assistant chief fire officer Leon Parkes said at a press conference on Tuesday morning.
The army is on standby to assist fire and rescue services with tackling the blaze.
GMFRS warned of the effects of smoke inhalation and encouraged people to stay away from the area.
Local residents described to Manchester Evening News a "frightening" situation and sealing their windows with towels in order to limit the smoke entering their homes.
One resident told the BBC she had seen "ash falling like rain" as the fire edged closer to her home.
An estimated 2,000 acres of moorland have been destroyed by the fire, for which a cause has not yet been established.
Firefighters have used helicopters to drop 65,000 gallons of water on the vast blaze.
Public Health England has urged residents to keep windows and doors shut and GMFRS have said they aim to help those who have been evacuated return to their homes today.
Images released by NASA show the scale of the fire, with smoke visible from space.
