As the drought continues, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service says it dealt with 277 grassland, woodland and crop fires during July 2026, while also assisting with wildfires in Suffolk and Hampshire, most recently in the New Forest off the A31.
The fire service says that makes July 2026, the second busiest for these types of incidents in the last five years – only August 2022 was busier, with 289.
Woodhenge in Worth Matravers, which was built in 2015 to celebrate midsummer, was already starting to rot but now much of it has been burnt
Swanage Fire Station was called to put the fire out when smoke was spotted coming from some of the Woodhenge timbers
Callouts have continued into August
July 2026 was also the driest July in England since records began in 1836, and now a fifth heatwave of the summer is expected to peak in Purbeck on Thursday 27th August 2026.
Swanage Fire Station reported that it had attended 12 callouts in just four days between Thursday 6th and Sunday 9th August 2026, which included several fires in the open, assisting the ambulance service and a couple of false alarms.
One of the callouts was to Woodhenge, the structure made out of tree trunks near the Square and Compass pub in Worth Matravers. It’s thought that a piece of glass may have caused the dry wood to catch light in the heat.
A Swanage fire crew worked through the night to relieve Hampshire fire crews tackling the fire on the A31 in the New Forest
What started as a van overheating, quickly became a large wildfire
Major incident on A31 in New Forest
However the major incident for Swanage Fire Station was when its Landrover went to help with the large fire on the A31 in the New Forest
The fire started just after 5 pm on Sunday 9th August 2026 when a van overheated and caught fire.
While vehicles do sometimes catch fire and are usually contained, this time the tinder dry hedgerow quickly caught alight and rapidly spread along the road verge.
It’s estimated that the fire has destroyed about one square kilometre of heathland, as well as causing serious damage to the carriageway.
While the affected stretch of the A31 is in Hampshire, it is causing long delays for people travelling to and from Dorset and Purbeck, as it is a main route down to the coast.
The diversion, which is expected to last at least until Friday 14th August 2026 is also causing traffic congestion around Bournemouth airport and the hospital.
The extent of the damage to the heath along the A31 was photographed by a police helicopter
Challenging summer
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is reminding everyone that during dry spells, fire can spread quickly and be extremely difficult to extinguish.
Wildfires also have a lasting impact on the environment and wildlife, which can take decades to recover.
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service area manager Marc House said:
“The figures are reflective of how challenging this summer has been, but we are very grateful to the vast majority of people who have followed our advice and avoided activity that could lead to a fire starting.
“With no sign of rain in the coming days, and another heatwave due, we all need to remain cautious to reduce the risk of fire.”
Cooking on a gas stove too near to a canvas tent led to fire spreading across the music festival campsite near Stoborough Heath
The dry conditions at the music festival site meant that the fire spread too quickly to be easily extinguished
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service safety tips
The fire service is issuing safety tips and while some may seem obvious, it was only on Friday 17th July 2026 that a large fire spread to heathland after someone set fire to a tent with a camping stove at a music festival near Stoborough.
- Avoid using barbecues, campfires or camping stoves (especially on heathland or in open spaces). If you do, douse any coals/fire pits with water and don’t dispose of the remnants until you’re sure they’re cold
- Extinguish smoking materials properly, and don’t throw cigarette ends on the ground or out of car windows – take your litter home
- If you see a fire in the countryside, get to a safe place and call 999 to report it immediately to the Fire and Rescue Service. Use What3Words to provide an accurate location and give as much detail as possible
- Don’t have a bonfire at home during these high-risk conditions
- If you’re at the beach, don’t set off flares, have campfires, or light barbecues as these can easily lead to gorse and foliage on the cliffs catching fire
- Fireworks and sky lanterns can easily cause fires in these very dry conditions, so please don’t use them
Further information
- Swanage Fire Station is actively recruiting for on-call firefighters. If anyone is interested they should pop down to the station on a Tuesday evening between 6 pm and 9 pm for an informal chat and see what being an on-call firefighter is all about.
- More information on outdoor safety is on the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service website
