FIREFIGHTERS battled 20ft flames as Dorset suffered one of its worst heath fires in years yesterday.

Around one-third of Talbot Heath in Poole was ravaged by the blaze, which is thought to have been started deliberately.

Wind swept the fire through the heath, destroying protected wildlife and wrecking the habitat of one of Britain’s rarest breeding birds, the Dartford Warbler.

More than 50 firefighters were needed to tackle the blaze, which broke out at around 4.30pm.

Steve Mant, Dorset Fire and Rescue’s fire incident commander, said: “It is probably the worst fire on this heath for 17 years.

“The fire caught gorse and produced 20ft flames. The heat was tremendous.

“It started on a high ridge in the centre of the heath, but as soon as it reached the valley the wind caught it and it really gathered speed.”

Crews surrounded the inferno, though they were hampered by the heath’s uneven terrain.

It was out by 7pm and fire crews were due to re-inspect the scene this morning.

Roger Thresh, who lives in nearby Winston Gardens, saw the fire gather momentum.

“At first we saw a relatively small plume of smoke go up and as the afternoon went on we watched it get bigger and the smoke got blacker,” he said.

Jez Martin, Borough of Poole nature conservation officer, said that last night the impact of the blaze could be “disastrous”.

He said the blaze covered around five hectares. “This is the worst fire for something like 17 years for Talbot Heath. It might even be the worst since the mid-1970s,” he said.

He added: “It will take 10-15 years for it to recover.

“This site was a very good place for Dartford Warblers.

“There were probably six to eight pairs on this site. Most of their territories have been burnt out so we might have two left.”

The heathland is also home to sand lizards and sand snakes, some of which are among the rarest animals in south east Dorset.

“There could be animals that may have survived the initial fire but may be dying over the next few years because of lack of food or have nowhere to hide and been made more vulnerable to predators,” added Mr Martin.

There were fears the blaze would spread to nearby St Aldhelm’s School, but it stopped some 400-500 metres away.

A series of smaller fires had hit the heath last week, leading fire investigators to believe yesterday’s blaze was arson.