A major incident has been declared in Dorset after more than 100 firefighters were deployed to tackle a ferocious blaze ripping through the heathland.
The fire erupted at Holt Heath, near Wimborne, on Saturday evening, quickly engulfing an area measuring around 1,000 metres by 800 metres. Fanned by gusty winds, the flames tore across the landscape, forcing the evacuation of 20 homes.
By Sunday morning, residents had returned home, but the air remained thick with smoke. Authorities urged people nearby to keep windows and doors firmly shut to protect against the choking haze.
Overnight, crews managed to slow the fire’s advance, but the damage was already significant, around 69 hectares of heathland left scorched.
Seven pumps remained in action on Sunday, soaking the smouldering ground while the National Trust worked alongside firefighters to carve out crucial firebreaks. By 4pm, the fight was still on, and road closures around the area stayed in place.
Adding to the strain, another blaze at Newton Heath near Swanage, which has burned 21 hectares, continued to smoulder after igniting a week earlier.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Darren Langdown said on Saturday: *“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.”
Massive fire breaks out on Holt Heath. Footage taken by drone 1 mile away using x7 lens. Flown outside of the Airport no fly zone. #HoltHeath #fire #dorset @SkyNews #dorset #bournemouth #flames pic.twitter.com/waRBODsguN
— Stunning Drone (@StunningDrone) August 9, 2025
He urged the public to stay clear of the fire zone, warning: “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.”
For some locals, the sight of the raging fire was nothing short of terrifying. Dog walker Marcus Lastra, from Ringwood, told the Bournemouth Echo how his afternoon stroll turned into chaos: “A dog walk turns into a horror movie.”
“Because it’s an open area, the flames spread very quickly in the wind. In those few moments before the fire brigade got there, it had really taken hold.
They started spraying parts of it, but then another section caught fire, and it just spread and spread. There was mayhem on the main road because people were stopping to take pictures.”
Camper Ben Murphy, staying near Three Legged Cross, described leaving his campsite after spotting the smoke: “We were there during lunch time…It just got so much worse so quickly; you could tell it was serious straight away.
You just don’t expect to see something like that. You could see literally in seconds a huge cloud of smoke.”
Authorities have warned that conditions remain volatile, with dry ground and gusty winds increasing the risk of flare-ups.
Local residents and visitors are being reminded to avoid lighting fires, barbecues, or discarding cigarettes in the open countryside. One stray spark, they warn, could ignite another disaster.
