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Nature reserve fire spreads across seven hectares

Indy Almroth-WrightSouth of England
DWFRS Two firefighters at night spraying water from hoses onto a heath fire with bank of flames seen.DWFRS
The fire service said the blaze spread rapidly on Wednesday night due to high winds

Firefighters are tackling flare-ups from a heathland fire at a nature reserve that covers about seven hectares (17 acres).

The blaze on Canford Heath near Poole broke out on Wednesday at about 20:00 GMT with about 45 firefighters from across Dorset and Hampshire initially sent in 14 firefighting appliances.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said flames had spread rapidly due to high winds. It said crews in numerous off-road appliances, along with a drone, were working to manage flare-ups and hotspots.

Residents are being urged to avoid the area and keep windows and doors closed due to the smoke.

DWFRS Firefighters and a fire appliance at night spraying water from hoses onto a heath fire with bank of flames seen.DWFRS
Firefighters worked through the night to dampen down

The 344-hectare Canford Heath is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.

It is home to dragonflies, damselflies, Dartford warblers, nightjars and all six species of British reptile.

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