IT WAS a busy weekend for firefighters who tackled two heathland fires at the weekend, including one at Dewlands Common in Verwood.

At around 2pm on Saturday, crews from Verwood, Ferndown and Wareham alongside firefighters from Ringwood, from neighbouring Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, were called to the fire on Dewlands Common.

A Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: "We were called to Dewlands Common, Verwood at 2pm on Saturday for a fire affecting about half a hectare of heathland. Two fire engines, from Verwood and Ringwood, together with light 4x4 pumps from Verwood, Ringwood and Ferndown, and a Unimog from Wareham attended. Two hose reel jets, two main jets and beaters were used. The stop came at 4.42pm, although Verwood firefighters did go back a couple of hours later to deal with some hotspots."

Dorset Police also attended the scene and as a precaution closed Dewlands Road for a short time while firefighters dealt with the blaze.

Earlier in the day a fire crew from Verwood were called to Hainault Drive at 1.19pm on Saturday for a fire in the open. The incident was dealt with by around 1.30pm.

And yesterday (Sunday), firefighters were called to a fire involving an area of heathland at Three Legged Cross at 7.12pm, affecting an area of measuring approximately 150m by 50m.

Light 4x4 pumps from Hamworthy, Poole, Christchurch, Wimborne, Ferndown and Verwood attended, together with fire engines from Poole, Wimborne and Ferndown, a water carrier from Ringwood and a Unimog from Wareham.

A fire service spokesperson said: "Firefighters used hose reel jets to contain and extinguish the fire, the stop came at 10.01pm and a crew from Ferndown have carried out a reinspection this morning."

The fire service is liaising with Dorset Police about this incident as there have been a number of fires in this area lately.