A DOZEN separate fires on tinder-dry Dartmoor were still raging today on the south and western side of the national park.

Nearly 30 firefighters are tackling the blazes with the police helicopter hovering overhead to give a bird’s eye view of the direction of flames.

The rush started just after 6pm yesterday with a fire breaking out at Naker’s Hill outside Princetown.

Firefighters withdrew from the scene for safety reasons overnight to return at first light when the blaze covered a front extending nearly two miles.

Altogether, seven crews are dealing with the 12 fires at venues which include Duck’s Pool, Great Nats Head, Abbot’s Way, Sheepstor and Nun’s Cross Farm.

A fire spokesman said this morning: ‘Our priority is to make sure the fires don’t endanger any properties.

‘It’s too early to establish the cause, but the weather has been hot and dry – so we would urge all visitors to the moor to exercise due caution in such conditions.’

He added that the scale of the incident was nothing near the problems being experienced on the Yorkshire moors.