Hundreds of animals will have perished in ‘devastating’ Dorset forest blaze according to wildlife trust

Hundreds, possibly thousands, of animals and plants will have perished in a ‘devastating’ forest fire according to Dorset Wildlife Trust.

A major incident was declared by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service as more than 150 firefighters and 28 fire engines battled the enormous forest fire which broke out on Monday 18 May at Wareham Forest.

It is believed that up to 183 hectares of forest and heathland has been affected, which is roughly the size of more than 200 football pitches.

Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) said the forest could take years to recover.

Sally Welbourn, marketing manager for the wildlife trust said it had already experienced two heath fires at Winfrith Heath and Upton Heath Nature Reserves.

The Trust is urging everyone to remain vigilant as "just one spark can cause a fire like this on dry forests and nature reserves."

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service say around 50 firefighters were on the scene overnight. And that the fire is under control but there are still many hotspots yet to be dealt with.