Poole fire: Huge wildfire breaks out near UK nature reserve at Upton Heath with residents told to 'close doors' - after Moors Valley park closes

The first, at Upton Heath, broke out shortly before 23:45 BST last night (Wednesday 2 April) and covered over 37 acres (15 hectares). Shortly before 05:30, crews were sent to a second fire across about six acres (2.4 hectares) at nearby Canford Heath.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire at Upton Heath had been contained and crews were working to control the fire at Canford Heath. The Upton Heath reserve is recognised internationally for the rarity of its wildlife, including the smooth snake and sand lizard. The 850 acres (344 hectares) of Canford Heath are a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Wildfires also broke out in Moors Valley Country Park on Monday and near its main entrance on Tuesday afternoon. The country park near Ringwood on the Dorset and Hampshire border remains closed.

The fire service had warned people earlier in the week to take care outdoors during the dry weather with an amber wildfire alert in place across its area. The causes of the fires are not yet known.

Concerned locals took to social media to share their horror. One said: “Huge fire on Upton Heath can be seen from Poole. Seems to be getting worse by the minute.”

Poole Fire Brigade said work to control the fire “has been hard work in dark and arduous conditions”. In a statement on Facebook Poole Fire Brigade said: "Approx 80 firefighters from across the Service area have been tackling a blaze at Upton Heath overnight.

"The fire has affected an area of around 300m x 500m, and crews have been using hose reel jets and beaters to extinguish it. This has been hard work in dark and arduous conditions, and we now believe the fire to be contained. At this stage, we don't know what caused the fire to start, but an investigation will take place once it's daylight and the fire is fully under control.”