text: Flames leaping and acrid smoke billowing into the sky, a huge fire rips through bone dry heathland near the south coast. In scenes resembling a disaster movie, the inferno laid waste to a picturesque area the size of 100 football pitches. It came after days of storms lashed Britain, with trees felled and roads shut. But the 70 hectare area of Dorset was tinderbox dry as much of it is on a hillside and water had run off down the slope. Fire investigators have confirmed the fire was started deliberately and three separate areas of heath - measuring half a hectare, one hectare and 70 hectares - were destroyed . More than 80 firefighters spent six hours tackling flames up to 35ft high at the St Catherine's Hill nature reserve in Dorset yesterday . Thousands of animals are feared to have been wiped out by the blaze after yesterday's strong winds of up to 45mph, coupled with bone dry ground thanks to a lack of rain, whipped the flamed across across 70 hectres of heathland . The fire was sparked by suspected arsonists in three locations. Fanned by 40mph winds, flames up to 35ft high spread rapidly through the nature reserve near Christchurch. Eighty firefighters spent hours tackling the blaze. Crews had to contend with a 400 yard wide wall of flames that moved at dangerous speeds. The billowing smoke could be seen from around ten miles away in Wimborne and Swanage. A member of the public raised the alarm at midday on Tuesday. Firefighters remained at the scene in St Catherine’s Hill nature reserve until 1.15am yesterday, after the blaze was finally brought under control. Police are treating the fire as suspicious and have appealed for witnesses as they investigate what was used to start it. Two schoolboys have today been arrested for the arson attack that devastated the sensitive heathland. The youths, aged 14 and 15, are being held by police on suspicion of deliberately starting three fires. Firefighters said that while it has rained in the area, the hilly landscape meant little moisture remained near the top of the soil. There was also a lot of dead, dry growth left over from winter, which had been the sunniest since records began in 1929. Commander Craig Baker of Dorset Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘It is probably one of the largest heath fires we’ve had for a couple of years. The main problem yesterday was the strength of the wind.’ The area, a site of special scientific interest, is home to all six species of reptile native to the UK, including sand lizards, adders and grass snakes. Experts said thousands of creatures would have been killed by the blaze. Around 50 wildlife volunteers were yesterday rescuing reptiles that survived. Nicky Hoar from Dorset Wildlife Trust said it would take 20 to 30 years for the heathland ecosystem to fully recover. Dorset Police have confirmed they are treating the fire as suspicious and investigations are ongoing but no arrests have been made yet . Billowing black smoke could be seen from 10 miles away in Wimborne and Swanage as crews battled to get the 400 metre wide fire under control . The heathland is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and home to all six species of reptile native to the UK; the sand lizard, smooth snake, adders, slow worms, grass snakes and common lizards . The huge wildlife, which was sparked by arsonists, has destroyed an area of heathland the size of a hundred football pitches in Dorset . But 350 miles away, it looked more like Christmas as a coating of snow caused a headache for unprepared commuters yesterday morning. Residents of Northumberland, Cumbria and County Durham were expecting April showers but the region’s highlands were instead blanketed in a freezing flurry. Lowson Robinson, who has been working on a model village in his garden in Cumbria for more than ten years, said: ‘The village looks lovely in the snow. There was a little flurry yesterday but I didn’t expect it to lie.’ The retired coal miner, 67, added: ‘It’s snowing today and I think it might continue until the weekend but then that should be it for the year. The weather here can get pretty bad and we get a lot of snow so it’s hard to tell but spring should be just around the corner.’ Yesterday, forecasters said there is a risk of rain across the country for the rest of the week and it will continue to be a bit colder than the seasonal average. In the south, temperatures could fall to -1C (30F). John Griffiths of MeteoGroup said: ‘Easter Sunday and Monday should be drier and brighter with sunny spells.’ Fire crews spent most of yesterday battling to bring the blaze under control and officers spent last night dampening the area down and returned today to ensure to fire didn't reignite . Experts say thousands of the creatures will have been killed by the blaze. Some 50 wildlife volunteers spent today rescuing reptiles that survived by burrowing into deep ground. Lambs frolick in the snow under the watchful eye of their mother in Garrigill, Cumbria, where ice warnings were in place . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
target: Flames up to 35ft high  engulfed 70 hectres of the St Catherine's Hill nature reserve in Christchurch, Dorset .
  A lack of rain combined with strong 45mph winds saw the blaze spread across the heathland dangerously quickly .
  More than 80 firefighters spent six hours tackling the blaze which is thought to have wiped out thousands of animals .
  Dorset Police confirmed they are treating it as suspicious after evidence of three deliberate fires was discovered .