Major heath blaze brought under control

The smoke plume from the fire could be seen about eight miles (13km) away

A wildfire in Dorset that spread rapidly due to windy conditions and led to 20 homes being evacuated has been brought under control.

The blaze at Holt Heath, near Wimborne, broke out on Saturday at about 11:10 BST, with about 100 firefighters sent to tackle the fast-moving fire that has burnt about 69 hectares (170 acres) of land.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) said crews had worked extremely hard to bring it under control and had saved one property from the fire.

The fire service declared a major incident due to the size of the fire and the number of crews at a heath and forest fire at Newton Heath, near Swanage, that has been burning for a week.

DWFRS said multiple crews from stations in Dorset and Hampshire were making steady progress at Holt Heath "to prevent further escalation and protect the nearby properties".

People forced to leave their homes on Saturday have been able to return.

It said firefighters are still working to manage any flare ups and advised residents to still keep doors and windows closed.

The National Trust have left the scene and road closures remain in place to anyone other than emergency services and residents.

Jennie Franklin said she started to make plans in case she had to quickly leave her home on the edge of the heath

Jennie Franklin, 63, who lives on the edge of the heath, told the BBC: "We smelled smoke, came outside and saw the plume."

She said the sun had "gone a weird orange colour because of the smoke", adding: "The smell was awful, the air was filled with black smoke and then the smell was really strong.

"We had to keep a very close eye on it. I wouldn't say it was scary but it got to a point where we started making plans [to leave] in case but, thankfully, it didn't come to that."

Firefighters from stations in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Devon and Somerset were called in to help the Dorset crews at the height of the blaze on Saturday.

Assistant chief fire officer Darren Langdown said: "We are extremely grateful to our neighbouring services for the support they are giving us and I can only praise all of our staff who are working so hard in extremely arduous conditions."

Several roads in Holt village remained closed on Sunday, including Holt Road and Horton Road along with Harts Lane to Amble Mead and Lower Row.

People were being urged to stay away from the area.

A major incident was declared and 20 homes evacuated as the fire spread on Saturday

The fire at Newton Heath, between Corfe Castle and Swanage, has destroyed an area about the size of 35 football pitches since it broke out last Sunday.

DWFRS said crews were still at the fire working to dampen down hotspots.

While the fire at Newton Heath is believed to have been started deliberately, the cause of the fire at Holt Heath is currently unknown.