Firefighters are still working to fully extinguish the devastating fire at Wareham Forest - but there is some small comfort.

At the height of the fire on Monday night, the crew had an urgent call to immediately rush to another part of the forest.

They were tasked with protecting a very small hill with fire surrounding it. The hill is the habitat of one of the rarest creatures in the UK.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "It’s so rare we can’t tell you its name to protect it. We are pleased to say that these creatures and their habitat were saved."

An area of heath and woodland equivalent to the size of 115 football pitches has been destroyed by the fire, which started on Monday.

It ravaged the forest and was declared a major incident, with more than 150 firefighters in attendance late on Monday night.

Efforts have since been scaled back but crews continuing to work at the scene three days on.

The fire is under control but with so many hotspots, firefighters expect to be on scene for a couple of days yet. They are urging walkers and cyclists to avoid the area as there are still lots of fire engines and five miles of hose laid out.

A spokesman for the fire service said: "We’d like to say 'thank you' to everyone for their patience so far, but hotspots can flare up with little to no warning so please help us by staying away."