Wildlife experts predict Studland Heath will take 15 years to recover from fire
Five hectares of undergrowth and gorse have been destroyed
Wildlife experts say it could take up to 15 years for Studland Heath to fully recover from a huge fire.
Five hectares of undergrowth and gorse has been destroyed.
The nature reserve is home to the endangered sand lizard and smooth snake, and the rare Dartford Warbler.
Tracey Churcher is the National Trust's general manager for Purbeck.
She said: "Everything is just burned to dust and still smelling of smoke. It's just ash. It looks like a scene of Armageddon. It's really hard to see."
"It just makes me very angry that we have lost such a beautiful area of country for something as pointless as someone's cooked evening meal outside. It's very upsetting."
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Services Group Manager Brad Stevens said:
"To have found evidence of a campfire and disposable barbecue at the heart of the fire was staggering, given the ban in that location, the many signs around the area, and the on-going media focus on the tinder-dry conditions and fire risk."
Animal rescue operation
Ecologists are now searching the site for animals which can be moved to safety.
Tracey Churcher says
"We've been able to do that with some common lizards and slow worms we have found. What may have happened is that during the fire they went to ground for safety and now they are popping back up to find their habitat has been destroyed.
"Sadly we have also found some dead bodies of animals that haven't made it."