The wildfire that tore through almost ten square miles of Dartmoor earlier this month is being treated as arson. An area stretching from Fernworthy to Amicombe was affected by the blaze, which had to be tackled over a two-day period. Several voluntary organisations were using the moor at the time. Now the authorities are anxious to speak to anyone who was in the area. Robert Steemson, Dartmoor's head of natural environment service, said: 'This large wild fire was a terrible incident which took place in the middle of the north moor which is classified as a Special Site of Scientific Interest. 'This means it is part of six per cent of England's land area that is internationally-important for its wildlife designated under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. 'In the Dartmoor context it is a breeding site for birds like lapwings, curlews, snipe, red grouse, dunlin and golden plover. 'Only a splendid effort by national park rangers, firefighters and commoners stopped the wildfire getting larger. 'The area concerned will be surveyed soon by ecologists and commoners to look at the potential damage and put forward ideas to both improve the landscape and stop this size of fire ever happening again.' Anyone with information is asked to call to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111 quoting reference JT/07/428. Calls can be made anonymously.
