Around 200 firefighters have been tackling a heath fire in Dorset that has managed to engulf 75 hectares of land.
It started yesterday, at approximately 1.55 pm. Crews managed to get it under control just after 10 pm, but 30 or so firefighters are still dampening down today.
It is thought to have been the largest fire in Dorset since 1976.
According to the BBC, strong winds in Upton Heath, Poole, caused it to spread rapidly.
Crews used multiple beaters, hose reel jets, main jets and compressed air foam to douse flames.
Speaking last night, incident commander, Keith Bacon of the Dorset Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Crews are working extremely hard to extinguish this fire but the weather conditions are making this difficult. Four members of the public are being treated by ambulance staff at the scene for smoke inhalation. Unfortunately one firefighter has gone to hospital as a precautionary measure because he was suffering from extreme exhaustion, another firefighter has received medical attention due to minor burns in his arm.”
At the height of the blaze, police and firefighters asked the public not to travel into the area surrounding the heath, specifically where the A350 meets the A35 Upton Bypass.
Police are working with firefighters on an investigation into the cause, which they believe to have been malicious.
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