Puddletown Forest fire

A discarded barbecue, pictured below, is said to be the cause of a huge blaze which ravaged heath and gorse at Puddletown Forest and involved a major firefighting effort to bring it under control. Nine different appliances were used and back-up crews came later to take over.

The fire on Sunday spread rapidly due to the warm and dry conditions and ended up destroying almost a hectare (10,000 square metres) of forest.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued repeated warnings over the past few weeks for people not to have fires in the open fearing this sort of outcome.

Video clips, below, of the fire from Maisy Keefe-Barton

Maisy Keefe-Barton, 21, alerted the fire brigade while walking in the area.

She and boyfriend Jack Stone had visited the woods from nearby Dorchester to go for a walk, parking at Rhododendron Mile.

Maisy said the pair investigated after seeing flames in the distance and came across an area of heath burning.

She said: "Straight away we spotted a used barbecue which was in the middle of the flames. At this point we dialled 999 and requested the fire service who arrived within about 15 minutes. By now, the blaze had spread and had jumped across the path into the dense woodland alongside. It was heartbreaking to see young trees being destroyed in seconds. The noise, smoke and heat was very intense."

She added: "It is very sad. It goes to show how a moment of carelessness can cause a catastrophe."

The fire was on land owned by Forestry England and a spokesman said the blaze destroyed almost a hectare of forest and the wildlife that lived there, including rare reptiles and ground nesting birds.

"We would like to remind people that it is prohibited to light or use fires, including disposable BBQs, in the forest,” a spokesman said.

The fire service was alerted at 4.40pm and crew worked into the night to bring the fire under control.

Crews involved in the effort included two fire engines from Dorchester, one from Weymouth, Land Rover pumps from Bere Regis, Blandford, Poole and Hamworthy stations, a Unimog (off-road truck) from Wareham and a water carrier from Poole. Later in the evening, relief crews came from Swanage and Wimborne. A crew from Dorchester reinspected yesterday morning.

Station Manager Sean Blizzard said: “The risk of heath fires increase when the weather is dry and warm. They also take a great deal of resources to bring under control, which impacts the availability of appliances for property fires and other emergencies, something we should be avoiding at all costs during the current pandemic. We urge the public to ‘stay home, save lives’ and if using the heaths for their daily exercise, please take extra care.”

A Dorset Police spokesman said: "We would remind members of the public of the Government’s restrictions that advise people to only leave their homes for essential journeys.

"We would particularly urge people to avoid engaging in any activities that could potentially add to the demand on the resources of local emergency services, who are all working together as part of the national effort to combat COVID-19 (coronavirus).

"We would urge anyone who considering breaching the restrictions to think very carefully about their actions and the potential consequences. While we see it as a last resort, we will take enforcement action where appropriate."

The advice from the fire service is:

• Don’t have open fires or use barbecues in the countryside

• Put out cigarettes and other smoking materials properly

• Do not throw cigarette ends out of your vehicle. They could start a fire and destroy surrounding countryside

• If you see a fire in the countryside, report it immediately. Do not tackle a fire yourself, unless it can be put out with a bucket of water. Please call the fire service and leave the area as soon as possible.

• Ensure that you know your location or a landmark so you can direct the fire service

Visit www.dwfire.org.uk/safety for more advice on staying fire safe.