AN urgent appeal for witnesses was this week jointly issued by organisations investigating a huge moorland fire on Dartmoor earlier this month. It took many hours to get the blaze, which started on the evening of April 3, under control. The flames affected an area of moorland stretching from Fernworthy to Amicombe. David Evans, secretary of the Forest of Dartmoor Commoners Association, said: 'The ramifications of a fire of this magnitude are still to be ascertained, however, with an area of burn estimated at around 2,000 hectares, the damage likely to have been caused to the flora and fauna could be significant.' The Forest of Dartmoor Commoners Association, in conjunction with its partners — Dartmoor National Park Authority, Natural England, Ministry of Defence, DEFRA, Devon & Cornwall Police and Devon & Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service are anxious to speak to anyone who was in this area of Dartmoor on Monday and Tuesday, April 3 and 4. 'Any information you may have, no matter how apparently insignificant it may seem, would be welcomed by everyone concerned in an effort to attain a successful conviction,' said Mr Evans. Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers in confidence on 0800 555111 quoting Crime Ref: JT/07/428.