Heath fires in Verwood and St Leonards and St Ives

At least 15 fire engines were at the scene of the blazes in Verwood and in St Leonards and St Ives.

Black smoke could be seen from miles around and members of the public were urged to keep away from the areas until the fires were brought under control.

More than 150 firefighters tackled two heath fires on Monday May 3 2021. Pictures: DWFRS

Crews from across Dorset and Hampshire took several hours to bring the flames under control.

Now detailed examinations of the areas will be carried out to determine the cause of the fires.

Fire crews were alerted just after 2pm and the fires went on until well into the evening.

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Area manager Damien Bence said last night: "Both of these incidents are incredibly resource-intensive and we are grateful to colleagues in Hampshire & Isle of Wight FRS for their support.

"The strong winds are making the firefighting conditions very challenging, but progress is being made with both fires, thanks to the hard work of crews.

More than 150 firefighters tackled two heath fires on Monday May 3 2021. Pictures: DWFRS

"We hope to scale back our attendance at both incidents over the coming hours, but we expect to maintain some form of presence in both locations overnight."

One of the fires was around 200m x 150m and the other 300m x 200m.