IT could take decades before the area at Studland devastated by a heath fire recovers, with the land now described as a “warzone”.
With trenches dug, once green land charred and even unexploded bombs discovered, the aftermath of the fire which ripped through around five hectares of the Studland peninsula has been described as reminiscent of a Second World War scene by visitors.
While the fire was fully extinguished on Monday afternoon after three days, areas of Studland cared for by the National Trust were cordoned off and bomb disposal officers called following the discovery of some unexploded ordnances unearthed by the fire.
At the height of the incident, there were approximately 90 firefighters tackling the flames. The fire was most likely caused by misuse of a disposable barbecue and campfire.
Sean Davies works for the National Trust at Knoll Beach and visited the nearby Studland heath to assess the damage. He decided to take pictures of the aftermath to highlight the consequences of such avoidable fires.
He told the Echo: “It was haunting. Firefighters had to dig trenches to stop the flames so now the whole scene looks like something out of the Second World War.
“The scale of it is incredible and you really get a sense that if the fire wasn’t controlled as well as it was, it would have taken the whole lot.
“The ground was still very hot and you could just smell ash. Such a large area has just been completely blitzed and it’s very sobering walking around there.
“I feel that if people were to go there and see the damage it would be a real education. I feel we’ve hit a tipping point with this sort of thing and until we nail home the point that having a fire on this land is wrong, it’s going to happen again.”
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service group manager Brad Stevens was duty manager during the weekend and told the Echo the strain such incidents can have.
He said: “It’s been a team effort across the service, not only operational staff but fire control, support services, delivery and equipment and ICT teams all deserve credit.
“About 80 to 85 per cent of our operational workforce are on call, so they’re trying to juggle their family and work life and drop that at the sound of a pager sometimes several times a day.
“They went above and beyond without complaining in arduous and exhausting conditions during a relentless weekend.”
He also thanked the Salvation Army for their assistance as well as the Corfe Castle Bakery who donated treats to firefighters.
GM Stevens added he hoped the heroism of the firefighters at Studland would inspire others to consider volunteering, with some roles available.
Visit dwfire.org.uk for more information.
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