As the August bank holiday approaches, Dorset Council, Dorset Heaths Partnership and Litter Free Dorset are urging residents and visitors to avoid lighting barbecues or campfires on open land.
Dry conditions mean wildfire risk remains very high, and authorities are warning that the consequences of carelessness could be devastating for people, property and wildlife.
So far this year 160 hectares of heath have been destroyed across 37 sites, the equivalent of 225 football pitches. This is 15 times more than the 10.5 hectares lost last year and has affected more than double the number of heaths.
Councillor Gill Taylor, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Housing, said everyone has a role to play in reducing risk. She praised the work of Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Dorset Heaths Partnership in tackling recent fires and asked the public to help by not using barbecues or lighting fires on open land.
The Dorset Heaths Partnership stressed that heathland is rarer than rainforest and urged people to take extra care to protect it.
Public Spaces Protection Orders already cover many areas, banning barbecues and open fires, but Dorset Council stressed that current conditions make fire safety essential across all open land.
