Warning over fires after park's 'narrow escape'

People are being warned not to light fires in a forest in Devon after a "narrow escape" at the weekend.

Forestry England said rangers quickly extinguished an unattended campfire at Haldon Forest Park on Saturday after seeing smoke near a cycling trail.

It said fires, barbecues and stoves should never be lit in the forest.

The forest, near Exeter, covers 3,500 acres and includes cycle tracks, walking trails and a high wire adventure course.

Katy Harrison, forest manager, said the risk of wildfire remained high.

“Here in Devon, the ground is still extremely dry despite the recent rain showers," she said.

"The forest is full of flammable material and even a small fire can very easily burn out of control.

"Fires can also spread underground and ignite elsewhere, putting people and wildlife in danger."

The park said on Facebook the unattended campfire was a "narrow escape" and it could have been "disastrous" if it had not been promptly extinguished.

Ms Harrison said hundreds of hectares of wildlife habitat at Wareham Forest in Dorset was still being restored after a fire in 2020 - it was thought to have been started by a disposable barbecue.

She added: "The damage caused by one person’s carelessness will take decades to repair and we’re thankful that no people were hurt."

Anyone who finds a fire or smoke in the forest is asked to contact the fire service and forest rangers.

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