Dorset Police are investigating the East Lulworth barn blaze after a fire destroyed a barn holding 2,000 hay bales and a derelict outbuilding. The fire was called in just after 03:00 BST on Saturday, and crews have stayed involved while the cause is examined.
Wareham Fire Station said: “The fire has destroyed a derelict outbuilding as well as the barn and its contents.” At the height of the blaze, about 60 firefighters from nearly a dozen fire stations tackled it, showing how far the response had to stretch.
Erin Kinghorn and Dorset Police
On Sunday, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service scaled back to two crews and said it expected to keep a presence in the coming days to protect the surrounding countryside. Dorset Police said the fire had been brought under control and that enquiries to establish the cause were ongoing.
Det Sgt Erin Kinghorn said: “Enquiries are ongoing and we continue to liaise with DWFRS as part of our investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident,” She also said: “I would urge any witnesses or anyone with information relating to any individual who may be responsible for this fire, to please make contact with us,” The force asked for information about suspicious activity in the surrounding area during the early hours of Saturday, along with dashcam, CCTV or doorbell camera footage.
DWFRS and East Lulworth
The fire service believed the blaze was started deliberately, while Dorset Police said the cause remained undetermined. That split leaves the investigation focused on two things at once: whether the fire was set on purpose, and who was in the area before it spread through the barn and the outbuilding.
For anyone with footage from the early hours of Saturday, or any account of suspicious activity in East Lulworth, the next step is to pass it to Dorset Police. The investigation is still active, and the crews on site remain there to keep the wider countryside protected.
