Police are investigating a fire that broke out at an underground bunker in Poole on Sunday 5 April 2026, which authorities believe was started deliberately. Firefighters were called to the site at Lake Drive at 8.26pm, where they worked to bring the blaze under control within approximately 40 minutes.
Crews from the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service stations in Hamworthy and Poole attended the scene. Firefighters used breathing apparatus, a hose reel jet, and a main line to extinguish the fire by 9.04pm. A water carrier from Poole and a lightweight offroad vehicle from Hamworthy also supported the operation, and no injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
The location of the fire is part of a series of historic underground fuel storage bunkers built between 1936 and 1940. These structures originally supplied fuel to flying boats operating from Poole Harbour during the Second World War and were later used by the Royal Marines.
The incident has been handed over to Dorset Police for further investigation. Authorities are now asking local residents to come forward if they witnessed any suspicious activity in the area around the time the fire started.
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