HEATHLANDS have become “tinderboxes” as the heatwave continues, police have warned.

Officers from Purbeck police spoke out after a blaze at the weekend.

As reported, fire crews battled a large fire at Slepe Heath near Arne.

The site is owned by the National Trust and Natural England.

A spokesman for Purbeck’s neighbourhood policing team said: “The extremely dry conditions have turned the heathlands into tinderboxes, making the land very susceptible to fire. "Both accidental and deliberate fires can prove disastrous for the heathland and potentially deadly, not only to visitors but to the staff and emergency service personnel that have to deal with them.”

Police urge visitors to “be mindful that one thoughtless action could lead to a catastrophic chain of events”.

Firefighters have also dealt with heathland blazes at Parley Common and Talbot Heath this week. Both areas are Sites of Special Scientific Interest.