THIS is the shocking moment a fire engulfed a popular tourist coastal hotspot.
The inferno, which is feared to have been started deliberately above Bournemouth Beach, erupted at 8.39pm on Saturday evening while revellers were strolling along the promenade.
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Roaring flames could be seen leaping 50ft into the air as the blaze, fanned by strong winds, and quickly covered a 100m x 100m area of a gorse-covered patch in East Cliff.
The blaze could be seen across Poole Bay and Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service received 60 calls to it.
There are approximately 50 mountain goats that live and graze in that area of the cliff.
DWFRS confirmed no-one was hurt and crews were able to put out the fire before it reached the animals’ enclosure.
The chaos was also close to cliff-top flats and hotels although they were in no danger because of the main road in between.
More than 40 firefighters attended the scene and put the flames out in two hours.
One witness said: “I just don’t understand why some people want to destroy nature and, even worse, put others at risk.
“This was clearly deliberate, as it happened deep within the vegetation, in an area that’s not easily accessible, meaning someone must have intentionally gone in to set it on fire.”
Firefighters returned to the cliff this morning to dampen down any hotspots.
A spokesperson for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 8.39pm last night our control room received the first of over 60 calls to reports of a fire on the undercliff near Bournemouth pier.
“Firefighters from Springbourne, Westbourne, Poole, Ferndown, Christchurch and Wimborne attended and dealt with a fire measuring approximately 100m x 100m.
“Firefighters used compressed air foam, main lines and safe working at height equipment to extinguish the fire.
“One crew from Springbourne returned to the undercliffs this morning to reinspect.
“They have found some hotspots and requested the aerial ladder platform from Westbourne to assist with accessing the hotspots.
“The cliff does not spontaneously combust, despite the warm weather we’ve been experiencing, so we do believe there to have been some human intervention.
“However, we cannot determine whether that is accidental or deliberate.”
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