Dramatic aerial photographs show devastating extent of Wareham Forest fire after flames engulfed area the size of 250 football pitches
- The blaze has continued to rip through 150 hectares of Wareham Forest in Dorset on the hottest day of year
- A farm has been evacuated and the fire – which has been raging for 48 hours – spread under electrical lines
- Nearby roads have had to close and high-voltage power lines isolated, with firebreaks put in place to stop it
- Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service had 150 firefighters at the scene at the peak of devastating fire
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Dramatic infrared footage shows the extent of a huge forest fire that was declared a ‘major incident’ after flames engulfed an area the size of 250 football pitches.
The blaze has continued to rip through 150 hectares of Wareham Forest in Dorset on the hottest day of the year so far.
A farm has already had to be evacuated and the fire – which has been raging for 48 hours – has spread under electrical power lines.
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service had 150 firefighters at the scene, alongside officials from the Forestry Commission and Natural England
A massive plume of smoke that has turned the blue sky ash grey, can be seen from up to 20 miles away and is being blown across Poole Harbour
A helicopter pilot looks out over the huge plume of smoke generated from the forest fire, which started on the hottest day of the year
Nearby roads have had to close and high-voltage power lines isolated, with firebreaks put in place to stop the spread.
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service had 150 firefighters at the scene, alongside officials from the Forestry Commission and Natural England.
The National Fire Chiefs Council is urging the public to be vigilant in the coming days if taking daily exercise in areas of woodland, heath or forestry.
Its chair Roy Wilsher said: ‘These large-scale fires are a stark reminder as to just how quickly these types of fires take hold. By their very nature, this type of fire is resource intensive.
Dramatic infrared footage shows the extent of a huge forest fire that was declared a ‘major incident’ after flames engulfed an area the size of 250 football pitches
The blaze has continued to rip through 150 hectares of Wareham Forest in Dorset (pictured) on the hottest day of the year so far
The National Fire Chiefs Council is urging the public to be vigilant in the coming days if taking daily exercise in areas of woodland, heath or forestry
‘While we do not know the cause of this fire yet, it is vital the public are listening to the advice of their fire and rescue service; avoid barbecues in these areas, to take all rubbish home with them and to act responsibly.
‘People also need to ensure they are following current government advice on COVID in relation to movement and social distancing.
‘The summer of 2018 saw the highest number of grass fires in recent history and we have also seen the season for wildfires change, with them starting much earlier in the year.
‘We’ve had plenty of warm, dry weather so far this year and so we are also urging landowners not to carry out controlled burns due to the unprecedented pressure fire services are under due to the COVID-19 response.’
The raging fire is likely to burn for another 24 hours and the cause has yet to be determined.
A firefighter wades between the trees as he tackles the devastating blaze in the woodland in Dorset on Monday
NFCC chair Roy Wilsher said: ‘These large-scale fires are a stark reminder as to just how quickly these types of fires take hold. By their very nature, this type of fire is resource intensive’