Sidmouth firefighters help tackle blaze believed to be arson

A blaze involving planted timber and bracken extinguished by firefighters at Bovey Down near Beer on Tuesday (13 June) is believed to have been arson.

The fire service received a call from a member of the public reporting the fire just after 5.15pm.

Arriving at the scene, crews saw multiple "seats of fire" on a steep hillside and called for backup. This included off-road vehicles as the fire was around 200 metres from the road across difficult terrain.

Fire crews were able to put out the blaze and prevent it from spreading further into the timber plantation.

A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "The fire affected approximately 120x50 metres of planted timber and bracken.

"Crews used a total of four hose reel jets, two 45mm jets, an ATV wildfire pump and misting lances, a telehandler wildfire pump and lances, three main pumps, one supplemented from the river and two supplemented from the bowser.

"Unfortunately this fire was believed to have been started deliberately."

Crews from Seaton, Colyton, Sidmouth, Axminster, Bridport, Chard, Lyme Regis, Exmouth and Exeter Middlemoor were all involved in the incident.