More than 15 fire crews descended on a field in Edmondsham, a village near Verwood, this afternoon after a large fire broke out in a maize field – the second to hit the area in as many days.
Water supply at the site proved problematic for crews, resulting in a large number of stations attending the incident.
According to Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, crews were called from: Poole, Christchurch, Blandford, Hamworthy, Wimborne, Springborne, Westbourne, Ferndown, Redhill Park, Fordingbridge, Sturminster Newton, Salisbury, as well as a water tanker from Ringwood, the Unimog from Wareham and a small 4×4 device from Verwood.
However, it is understood that some stations were disrupted en route.
Two accidental fires 🔥 today! The first one in Cranborne was nice and small… the second one in Edmonsham was 44 acres and we had to call for 8 fire engines, 8 landrovers and a water tanker to help us 🚒🚒🚒🚒🚒🚒🚒🚒 pic.twitter.com /pTePG0enDx
— Ferndown Fire Stn (@DWFRSFerndown) July 15, 2022
The incident occurred at 3.40pm, with crews tackling the flames and remaining hotspots until around 6pm before leaving.
A fire service spokesman said the cause of the fire was not yet known, but it was believed to be accidental. They added that crews would return at 9pm for a re-check to further ensure the site is safe. No injuries were reported.
Another separate fire nearby was reported on Thursday, July 14, involving a 100m x 100m forest area. It is understood a small part of that fire started again on Friday before it was quickly tackled.
