A DEVASTATING fire tore through Dorset heathland and local experts fear it may have killed many rare breeds of wildlife.

Dozens of calls flooded into the fire service in the early hours of yesterday morning as the blaze consumed 12 hectares of heath and gorse at Agglestone Heath, Studland.

Fire crews from Swanage, Wimborne, Blandford and Dorchester spent around four hours from 1.25am bringing the fire under control and around 35 firefighters remained at the scene damping down throughout much of Monday.

Swanage Police confirmed they are investigating the blaze which swept through National Trust land and believe it may have been started deliberately.

It is feared it will take years for the flora and fauna wiped out by the fire to return.

PC John Snellin, wildlife and countryside officer for Dorset Police, said: "The heath is home to sand lizards, smooth snakes and other rare and endangered species. They are too slow moving to get away, they can't outrun a fire.

"Some of them go underground in little holes and get suffocated by all the smoke and fumes. This fire would have devastated the whole area. There will be colonies of the rarer species of snakes and lizards which once again have been wiped out."

The fire was kept a safe distance away from local houses.

Heath fires are among the most demanding to tackle as they can change direction quickly with the wind and spread faster than an Olympic athlete can run.

A spokesperson for Dorset Fire and Rescue Service described the firefighters who tackled the blaze as "hot and tired."

Several were treated for heat exhaustion.

Many of those who reported the blaze were sailors who had spotted it from their yachts miles out at sea.

Geoff Hann, head countryside warden for the Purbeck Estate, said: "This fire has been dreadfully sad. We will continue to educate the public to be ultra careful on the heathland.

"I would love to see the people that visit our area respect it by not having barbecues or throwing cigarettes where there is dry heath."