Investigators have launched an arson probe after two fires at a former military training ground sparked a huge emergency response.

Two parcels of land went up in flames shortly after 4pm yesterday at the Old Park estate, between Sturry Road and the former Howe Barracks site east of Canterbury.

Smoke could be smelled more than a mile away as emergency services descended on the area via Canterbury Golf Club.

An office worker in New Dover Road told KentOnline: “I heard a huge flurry of sirens and almost immediately afterwards I could smell smoke.”

A fire service spokesman says crews were called to reports of two fires in gorse bushes and undergrowth in Old Park.

“Four fire engines, a fogging unit and two all-terrain vehicles attended and crews extinguished the first fire using hose reel jets and wildfire equipment,” they said.

“The second fire was extinguished using the all-terrain vehicle.

“No injuries were reported, and the cause is believed to be deliberate.”

Fire crews arrived at the scene at about 4.15pm and left shortly after 7pm.

Kent Police has been contacted for more information.

The Old Park Training Ground is a 228-acre site formally used by the Ministry of Defence.

Earlier this year, a campaign was launched to protect the “hidden gem” from development after the MoD put it on the market.

Old Park stretches across an area of woodland, scrub and grassland the size of 143 football pitches on the edge of Canterbury city centre.

The MoD began withdrawing operations from Old Park in 2020 and allowed public access.

The fire comes as Kent, alongside the rest of the country, has experienced a prolonged burst of unusually warm weather.

March was an incredibly dry month across the UK, with England and Wales experiencing their driest conditions since at least 1961.