Heath Fire down in Poole, Dorset direction

[APC]

Proper grim. I remember driving down Herbert Avenue towards Tower Park and seeing the flames coming up from the horizon. Must have been 2002. Was proper bad then but this seems worse. Goodbye Dartford warblers!

[Matthew Arnold]

Here is a link with some pics of the heath fire. The BBC didnt put any of mine up and the computer has decided to delete the ones i took. Not very helpful.

 

BBC News - Dorset fire: Your pictures

[Treewolf]

My journey home from Blandford to Poole takes me through Broadstone - half four yesterday Broadstone was thick with smoke from this fire, then fast approaching Springdale Avenue. The view back towards the fire from my house (on the edge of Canford Heath) was looking straight into the sun; the light was really sinister - shades of Dante's Inferno.

 

Good news is that it was under control by 18:30, with no serious injuries. Bad news is that over 1000 acres of one of the south's most important habitats has been destroyed, and it was apparently started deliberately.

 

I have lived on the edge of the heath for 25 years now and seen at least 15 serious fires, some so close you can hear the flames. I think that every single one has been set deliberately. 99% of them are in school holidays - it is as predictable as Christmas, the schools break up, the heath fire season starts. Most depressing.

 

Police are now hunting for 2 youths seen running from the seat of yesterday's fire; anyone like to speculate what punishment they'll get if convicted? Not nearly enough, I'll wager.

[David Goss]

A slap on the wrists probably... oh no wait you cant even do that to them anymore so i guess erm nothing...

[Matthew Arnold]

It has really hit home on my part on how hard the fire has hit the local wildlife. It is the peak of bird and reptile breeding season as well as mammals. Although i was meant to be at Download Festival this year i gave the ticket to a friend of mine and went to help with the clear up and pick up the injured animals. I had to dispatch a very badly burnt Roe deer this morning. She was shaking and her skin was charcoal so dispatched her on site as nothing could have been done. No more than 50 metres away i found a dead fawn. I am a shooting man but what these people have done is just barbaric. I hope the police find them and then lock them up for a long time. The police have the facilty to access every social networking site and check everyones details and comments. Here is the latest link: BBC News - Upton Heath fire 'destroyed eco-system'

[tommer9]

B astards.

[Matthew Arnold]

B astards.

 

My words exactly as well a few others not suitable for human ears or eyes on here. The boss was going to charge but once he saw the devastation for himself i am now doing it for free.

[mendiplogs]

HI MATT your right there its not good mate i hope they get the ones that stared the fire jon

[Matthew Arnold]

HI MATT your right there its not good mate i hope they get the ones that stared the fire jon

 

I hope so too m8. The fires that are started down there have a pattern (3.15pm onwards during term time) (7am-4 am half term/summer holidays). I've helped the crews out with creating fire breaks in the past. The boss sometimes isn't happy but just recently if the heath fire extends beyong 100sq metre i got down there.

[Sam Thompson]

My words exactly as well a few others not suitable for human ears or eyes on here. The boss was going to charge but once he saw the devastation for himself i am now doing it for free.

 

Good man. If I could afford to come down and help I would, this sort of thing really gets to me. It will take tens/hundreds of years to get that back to how it was, but those to 'scrotes won't care when there drinking their buckfast and smoking. Dispatching injured beasts is not for the faint hearted, well done you can do it. I'm on the deer road traffic incident lists and have done a couple, its real harrowing stuff. It makes my blood boil that they get away with this, and I bet their kids are doing it in 10 years time - that attitude is hereditary

 

 

Good on all the lads/lasses giving a hand.