PICTURES show the devastating effect wildfires have had on heathland in Purbeck.
Fire crews have been working round the clock to extinguish fires after receiving a “high number of calls” relating to fire in the open across the Studland area.
They said that strong wind is causing more flare-ups.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue said it was working with Dorset Police to establish the cause of the fires “all likely to have been deliberate ignition”.
Crews were initially called to a fire at Decoy Heath on Saturday (August 2), before responding to a fire in the open at Middlebere Heath, Gore Heath, Arne and Newton Heath.
Firefighters from more than 36 stations have been deployed to tackle the Newton Heath blaze, which has seen heathland around the size of 30 football pitches destroyed.
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Tireless crews working to damped the area Picture: Swanage Fire Station
Relief crews were still at Newton Heath at 9.30am this morning (August 5) to extinguish several flare-ups.
Picture: Swanage Fire Station
Swanage Fire Station said its off-road appliance and Land Rover were back out at Rempstone for most of yesterday (August 4) damping down the fireground.
Smoke filling heathland Picture: Swanage Fire Station
“The strong winds were making this difficult and causing flare-ups regularly,” a spokesperson said.
“The incident is still not over and will be ongoing for quite a while longer.”
Picture: Swanage Fire Station
They added: “Since midnight on Saturday, Swanage Station has been out almost nonstop to fires at Wareham, Arne and Rempstone Forest.”
Campfires and barbeques have been banned at protected heathlands in the county, and the cause of the fires has not yet been identified.
Anyone who sees a fire in an area not previously mentioned should call 999.
Probably, who knows? Garage forecourt BBQ’s AGAIN? You can ban them being sold locally but the idiots will bring them in from outside of The Purbecks, I have previously reported camping and fires at Studland only because I used to walk my beloved did in the mornings in the wooded areas around Little Sea. Sadly we lost Poppy, but clearly it’s still happening. But how the hell fo you Police this situation when brain dead people are ignoring signage warnings on fire and BBQ’s. .