A LARGE fire near Corfe Castle was brought under control thanks to the fire service’s new Unimog vehicle.

Swanage Fire Station’s off-road appliance and Land Rover attended a field in Corfe Castle at around 4.30pm yesterday (July 3) after receiving reports that a large area of gorse bushes, trees and undergrowth were alight.

The crew received support from a pump from Bere Regis, another Land Rover from Hamworthy – and Wareham’s new £500,000 Unimog, which has proved vital in extinguishing heath fires due to its off-road capability and large water and foam capacity.

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“The fire was quite quickly brought under control, and crews remained on scene for a while damping down,” a Swanage Fire Station spokesperson said.

The fire was quickly brought under control Picture: Swanage Fire Station

They said it was the crew’s first chance to see the Unimog in action, adding that it was a “very impressive vehicle”.

The new Unimog, which is based in Wareham, has been busy since it was first put in service, as it was mobilised to five separate incidents in its first 24 hours.