Large fire at Dorset heathland ‘now surrounded and under control’

Firefighters have said a large blaze driven by strong winds at a heathland in Dorset is now under control.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service said the incident, which it was initially called to on Saturday afternoon, at Canford Heath in Poole was “now surrounded and under control”.

“Please be aware that the road closures will remain in place and whilst our presence at this incident will be reducing, a number of resources will remain on scene overnight checking for hotspots,” the service added.

Earlier scenes on social media showed huge orange flames covering a vast area of rural land, with thick smoke pouring into the air.

Canford Heath is known for being the largest heathland in Dorset, and the largest lowland heath in the UK.

It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a part of the Dorset Heathlands Special Protection Area.

Ferndown Fire Station tweeted the blaze was “probably the largest fire in this location for a number of years”.

“At its height there were 15 pumps, four water carriers and six off-road” vehicles, the station said.

Elizabeth Leddy, 28, from Poole, told the PA news agency: “The amount of smoke pluming out was like no Heath fire I’ve seen before.”

Another nearby resident said the “scary” fire meant she was stuck on her road.

Wessex Water had been made aware of some supply issues in the area following the incident, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service said, as it urged members of the public to contact the supplier directly if the problems continued.

Dorset Police earlier said enquiries to establish the cause of the fire were ongoing.