Firefighter rescues hedgehog from burning Thornicombe barn

Chris Proudfoot noticed the stricken hedgehog while entering the burning barn

A firefighter has rescued a hedgehog from a burning barn.

Chris Proudfoot, based at Verwood fire station, was involved in tackling the fire on a farm at Thornicombe, near Blandford in Dorset, on Monday night.

He said he saw "something scamper" before the creature came up to his foot as he entered the barn with a hose reel.

Dorset Wildlife Trust described his actions as "brilliant".

Apparently unharmed by its ordeal, the creature was released in a another barn nearby, unaffected by the fire.

Mr Proudfoot said: "I saw it was quite a young hedgehog and immediately shut the hose off and carried it out. Being handled is quite stressful for them so we carefully checked him over and then took him to another barn.

"He is lucky he is still alive. He wasn't injured. He just looked around and scuttled off."

Mr Proudfoot, a firefighter for five years, said he had plenty of experiences dealing with cats and dogs at house fires, but said this was his first hedgehog encounter.

"With agricultural fires you have to be aware of not only the farm animals at the property but look out for other wildlife - hedgehogs or badgers - in a fire they could be hiding and not know what to do."

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews from Blandford, Sturminster Newton, Verwood, Poole and Wimborne were sent to the fire in the barn containing hay and farm machinery which broke out shortly after 21:00 BST.

It was brought under control with crews leaving the scene at 07:00 the following morning. The cause is not yet known.

Research in the State of Britain's Hedgehogs 2022 report found population numbers were down in rural areas by between 30% and 75% since 2000.

Dorset Wildlife Trust said: "It's brilliant that the firefighters were aware of the risks to wildlife and took the time to help this lucky hedgehog."

It also warned people to check bonfires for sheltering wildlife before lighting them in the coming weeks.

"With Bonfire Night a few weeks away, we should be mindful that hedgehogs often seek shelter in piles of wood. One tip to keep hedgehogs safe, is to build your bonfire at the last minute to prevent any wildlife moving in," the trust said.