FIREFIGHTERS are being pushed to their limits in Dorset after attending a record number of incidents this year.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) have attended more than 900 grassland, woodland and crop fires since the start of 2025.

This is already the same amount of incidents crews dealt with in the previous record-high year of 2022.

Conditions have made things worse, as extended dry spells, heatwaves, and high winds have created the perfect environment for wildfires to ignite and spread rapidly.

As widely reported, the fire at Holt Heath near Wimborne was eventually scaled down after it burned for six days on August 9, which saw a major incident declared as 177 acres (72 hectares) of land was consumed by the blaze.

Crews from across the country were deployed to support the frontline efforts.

Chief fire officer at DWFRS, Andy Cole, said this summer has been one of the most challenging for wildfires the service has ever faced.

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“Our firefighters have been working around the clock in arduous conditions, often for days at a time, to protect lives, homes, and our natural environment,” he said.

The increase in wildfires has seen resources including equipment and finances stretched.

Andy Cole has warned that the government’s funding review of fire services could see more firefighters leave the role.

He has proposed an increase in council tax to help secure the future of the fire service in Dorset.

“The major incident at Holt Heath and a spate of wildfires across our service area, highlight the need for better funding across the sector and I am supporting the National Fire Chiefs Council’s call for this,” he said.

“We also took the opportunity recently to respond to the Government’s Fire Funding Review consultation. Their proposals, if implemented, could result in the reduction of up to 2,300 firefighter posts nationally, and would leave services like ours even worse off than we are now.

He added: “We are already facing the possibility of having to close fire stations to address the deficit we currently hold – and that’s before these new proposals are considered.

“At present, 75% of our income comes from council tax, and the average household across the four authorities we serve contributes £1.76 per week to their fire and rescue service.

“If we were allowed to increase this to £1.95 per week, it would make a significant difference to our financial position making us more sustainable and ensuring our ability to keep the communities of Dorset & Wiltshire safe.”

Landowners and land managers are being advised to be prepared for fires, where possible. This includes ensuring fire breaks are cut and well maintained, with any cut grasses and vegetation removed from the site.

CFO Cole added: “We’re calling on everyone to do their part, even small actions can prevent a devastating wildfire from starting.”