A disposable barbecue and a campfire were the most likely cause of the fire which caused significant damage to almost five hectares of Studland Heath National Trust nature reserve over the weekend.

And some selfish motorists added to the work of the fire service by parking irresponsibly.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service left the scene on Monday but at the height of the incident, there were approximately 90 firefighters tackling the blaze, drawn from across the service area and from neighbouring Hampshire & Isle of Wight FRS.

Group manager Brad Stevens said: “This was a difficult and protracted fire to bring under control, and I cannot praise enough our crews for their hard work in extremely hot conditions. Thanks must go to the Salvation Army, for looking after us so well across the weekend; to the National Trust, the Sandbanks chain ferry and the Coastguard for their support throughout the incident; and also colleagues at Dorset Council, BCP Council and Dorset Police – this truly was a multi-agency effort, with many other partners from within the Local Resilience Forum also being involved at various levels.”

While the majority of people enjoying the sunshine at Studland over the weekend cooperated fully with the necessary restrictions put in place to keep them and firefighters safe, there were some who ignored the ‘no parking’ signs and even moved hose.

GM Stevens said: “To have found evidence of a campfire and disposable barbecue at the heart of the fire was staggering, given the ban in that location, the many signs around the area, and the on-going media focus on the tinder-dry conditions and fire risk. To then have that exacerbated by people ignoring the parking restrictions and even moving our equipment to make way for their cars was unbelievable. Parking fines were issued in many cases, and some cars were towed away, but we must again urge people to be aware of what is happening around them, and to work with us when incidents like this happen.”

Although rain has come at last, the recent dry conditions mean even the smallest fire will spread far more quickly than usual, so the safest thing is to avoid the risk entirely wherever possible.