Spate of Dorset heath fires 'likely deliberate'
The fire service said to date firefighters from 36 stations had been sent to tackle the Newton Heath blaze after it started on Sunday shortly before 03:30 BST.Crews have been working through the night to put the fire out in challenging windy conditions with four appliances and three off-road vehicles currently at the heath.The first fire was reported shortly after 23:00 BST on Saturday on Decoy Heath.
Large areas of heathland habitat in Dorset have already been destroyed this year due to what investigators describe as "human intervention".Barbecues and camp fires have been banned in the county's protected heathland but a number wildfires have been attributed to arson.The fire service is urging anyone who sees fire in a location not previously mentioned to dial 999.
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