Controlled burning will take place on heathland near Dorchester this week.

The aim is to help officials learn more about dealing with fires which have devastated some of Dorset’s rare wildlife habitats in recent years.

The blaze which destroyed around 140 acres of internationally important heathland at Upton in June highlighted the need for agencies to be better prepared for such fires and minimise their impact on the environment.

Dorset County Council’s countryside service is teaming up with the Urban Heaths Partnership and the University of Manchester to stage some ‘research burns’ at Blackdown, near Martinstown, starting today.

University researchers will also be travelling to the site from all over the UK and around Europe.

The tests are intended to provide vital information about fire behaviour in summer conditions, how to limit the spread of fire, and the effectiveness of different types of equipment in combating blazes in heathland areas.

Experienced teams will be on site to manage the burns – which will run through to Friday – and any reptiles or nesting birds in the designated areas will be relocated before the fires begin.

The land was made available by the county council.

Robert Gould, cabinet member for environment, pictured left, said: “We need to research fire behaviour and measure the impact of wildfire during the summer months, as this is when the problem of arson is at its highest.

“Without this kind of detailed research our heaths will continue to burn out of control, our firefighters and homes will be put at unnecessary risk, and we may eventually lose our special heathland habitats altogether.”

Last month’s Upton Heath fire, triggered by arsonists, was among the worst in Dorset over the past 30 years. Around a third of the heathland area – home to a wide range of rare plants and animals – was lost or severely damaged.