Overview

• A mobile home at Lady Bailey Residential Caravan Park in Winterborne Whitechurch caught fire at 11:31am, drawing 11 engines, two water carriers and about 50 firefighters, and was extinguished around 1:30pm with crews damping down afterward.
• Dorset Police, South Western Ambulance Service and Dorset Council supported the operation as residents were told to keep windows shut, drivers were urged to avoid the A354 and the village hall opened to offer shelter.
• Firefighters also tackled a hedgerow blaze at Tarrant Crawford with multiple appliances and a heath fire at Three Legged Cross that was surrounded by 1:30pm, with crews returning to check for hotspots.
• Formal cause investigations are pending for the latest incidents, and police have been probing suspected arson linked to recent heath fires, including a major-incident blaze at Holt Heath earlier this month.
• Dorset Council reiterated warnings against barbecues and campfires due to heightened wildfire risk, while a union said cuts have left crews understaffed and under-resourced.