A major incident has been declared as two vast heath fires rapidly spread in Wimborne.
Approximately 100 firefighters are battling a blaze spanning roughly 1,000m x 800m at Holt Heath, near Wimborne, with crews drawn from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and neighbouring fire stations in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Devon and Somerset.
The blustery conditions are fuelling the flames and causing swift fire spread, leading to the evacuation of 20 homes near the fire front as a safety measure. Local residents have also been advised to keep doors and windows shut due to the smoke, which can be seen from several miles away.
This comes following reports of a father’s frantic phone call moments before an explosion killed him and his daughters.
Holt road has been closed at the junction with Higher Road and also in Holt Heath village near the pub. Firefighters also remain at Newton Heath, near Swanage, for a heath fire affecting 21 hectares that has been burning since last Sunday, reports The Mirror.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Darren Langdown stated: “We have declared a major incident both due to the size of the fire at Holt Heath, and also the impact of this and Newton Heath on our overall availability of resources. We are extremely grateful to our neighbouring services for the support they are giving us, and I can only praise all of our staff who are working so hard in extremely arduous conditions to bring these fires under control.”
He continued: “I would ask the public to help us by staying away from the affected areas; the fire at Holt Heath, in particular, is spreading rapidly and anyone trying to see what’s going on could be cut off very easily. We would also ask photographers not to fly drones near the fire, as we are using drones provided by Wessex Rescue to help us direct our firefighting.”
Whilst the blaze at Newton Heath is suspected to have been deliberately ignited, the origin of the inferno at Holt Heath remains a mystery.
The scorching temperatures have now prompted an Amber wildfire warning to be declared for the forthcoming days.
A concluding caution from the fire brigade stated: “Don’t attempt to tackle fires that can’t be put out with a bucket of water – leave the area as quickly as possible.”
