Canford Heath hit by second suspected arson attack

A heath was deliberately set alight just weeks after a major incident saw homes evacuated, firefighters have said.

Crews from Poole and Wareham were called to Canford Heath in Dorset on Saturday evening.

An area 33ft (10m) by 66ft (20m) was found to be alight.

The fire was brought under control in less than an hour and no-one was hurt.

It is the second incident in the area in a matter of weeks. In April more than 80 firefighters tackled a blaze on the heath that saw 20 homes evacuated.

Firefighters said at the time it was "caused deliberately with some human intervention".

Canford Heath is known for being the largest heathland in Dorset, and the largest lowland heath in the UK.

It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a part of the Dorset Heathlands Special Protection Area.

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