Man describes moment he saw Canford Heath fire

Rob, a resident who was on Knowlton Road at the time of the fire, was one of the people evacuated on Saturday night.

He said: “My friend lives directly opposite where the fire was heading. We were stood outside having a BBQ and we noticed the fire heading over the hill and in our direction.

“Within an hour and a half it had spread to the fence directly opposite us, so we started hosing down anything that could potentially have embers on it or could catch alight.

🚨Fire call🚨 One fire engine was sent to Canford Heath this evening for what’s probably the largest fire in this location for a number of years. At it’s height there were 15 Fire engines,4 water carriers and 6 off road landrovers. #WarehamFireStation @dwfirerescue #canfordheath pic.twitter.com/iXSuGX6nB6

— Wareham Fire Station (@DWFRSWareham) April 23, 2022

“We were evacuated from the property and eventually we made our own way back into the house.

“The smell of ash and smoke when we got back was really strong. There were lots of people walking around in shock. It was horrific.”

Read more: 

• Brave fire crews save houses at risk from Canford Heath fire after six hour blaze
• Huge heath fire takes hold at Canford Heath in Poole as residents evacuated
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Along with other residents, Rob expressed concerns about the impact of the fire on the heathland's wildlife.

Picture by Corin Messer

He said: “This will have a massive effect on the local ecosystems and it could mean the heathland is not a safe environment for people who walk there. People use the space to get away from their day to day lives and now it is completely blackened and singed, there won’t be a short term fix for it.”

Rob said he didn’t foresee the fire happening ‘this close to home.’

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.