Nature reserve wildfire treated as arson

A wildfire which took hold of an area of nature reserve is being treated as arson.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS) tackled the fire affecting 150m by 50m (500ft by 150ft) of Turbary Heath in Bournemouth on Tuesday evening.

It said it was believed to have been started deliberately and police are investigating.

Fire crews also dealt with a separate wildfire at Corfe Castle which is believed to have been started accidentally.

Crews were called to Turbary Heath shortly before 19:30 BST and used hose reel jets and beaters to extinguish the fire, with firefighters remaining on scene to dampen down.

The heath is the largest area of heathland in north Bournemouth and a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is home to rare species including Dartford warblers, long-winged conehead crickets and all six species of British reptile.

DWFRS said crews had earlier been called to "a large area of gorse bushes, trees and undergrowth alight" close to rail tracks at Corfe Castle shortly before 16:30.

It said the fire was brought under control and crews remained on scene damping down.

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