Residents Evacuated As Huge Fires Rage Across UK Hillside

A huge heathland fire covering the hills of Dorset has forced residents to be evacuated for their safety.

According to the Daily Mirror, around 620 acres of land have been destroyed by the fires at Canford Heath, Poole as locals have taken shelter at a nearby leisure centre.

Emergency services were able to keep the public away from the flames and tackle the blaze, which has been described as 'probably the largest fire in this location for a number of years'.

A police helicopter ordered residents of houses which back onto the heath to move away from the flames for their own safety.

Firefighters are still on the scene ensuring that some of the hotter areas stay damp and do not spark alight again, though the situation is 'now surrounded and under control' according to Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service.

Emergency services were first called to the fire on Saturday afternoon (April 23), which spread rapidly as the flames were carried by strong winds and unusually dry vegetation.

Plenty of people in the local area took to social media to share images of the blaze, which has caused significant damage to the largest lowland heath in the UK.

Others voiced concerns about the fate of wildlife in the area, with Canford Heath both a site of special scientific interest and a part of the Dorset Heathlands Special Protection Area.

Canford Heath is home to a number of rare species including smooth snakes, sand lizards and Dartford warblers, along with adders, dragonflies and nightjar birds.

16 residents and a number of pets had to leave their homes in face of the fire, which took more than 80 firefighters several hours to get under control.

Fortunately, they were able to prevent the fire from spreading into a residential area, The Guardian reported.

They also reported that police efforts have included keeping away locals who want to get more pictures for social media as there is still a danger of flames despite the blaze being under control, as one unlucky person discovered when they attempted to stamp out part of the fire only for his shoe to catch alight.

Dorset Police have said they are making ongoing enquiries to determine the cause of the fire, which is currently unknown, and they have urged anyone with relevant information including footage or pictures which could indicate how the blaze started to contact them and help their investigation.