Fire service warns wildfire conditions expected

A fire service has warned people to avoid unnecessary outdoor fires as it is anticipating heightened wildfire conditions.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said strong winds forecast for the region for Wednesday and Thursday could lead even controlled burns like bonfires to spiral out of control.

It comes after the service issued an amber wildfire alert on 21 April due to the dry weather conditions.

It has urged those who spot a fire in the countryside to report it immediately to prevent it from developing into a wildfire incident.

The fire service has suggested the public has picnics over barbecues and avoids open fires or campfires which are banned in many parts of Dorset.

The risk is greatest on large areas of "open land", which include areas such as heathlands, fields and cliffsides.

There were multiple heathland fires in Dorset earlier this year and last year which the service believes were "started deliberately", including at Newton Heath near Poole Harbour in August 2025 when an area the size of 30 football pitches was destroyed.