Dorset Police are asking for anyone with information in relation to the fire, which began around 6pm on Saturday 9 May 2020 at Bourne Valley Nature Reserve, to come forward.
The fire, which damaged a significant amount of the heathland, is believed to have been started deliberately, near the entrance at the Bloxworth Road end of the nature reserve. A witness has reported seeing a teenager emerging from bushes in the area shortly before the fire started.
The witness has described the boy as white, aged around 15 or 16, and around five feet nine inches tall. He was wearing a baseball cap and navy blue tracksuit with ‘EA7’ on the front.
Police Constable Matthew Batter of Poole Police, said: “We have been liaising with the fire service and are continuing to investigate the incident.
“We are treating it as a suspected arson and I would urge anyone with information about who is responsible, or who witnessed any suspicious activity in the area around the time of the incident, to please contact us.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to remind parents to make sure they know where their children are, especially in light of the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions.”
If you have any information that might help with the investigation, please contact Dorset Police via their website, email, or by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55200065675. If you’d prefer to provide information anonymously, you can do so by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visiting their website.