Over 1,000 Beaminster Residents Without Broadband After Range Rover Crash Sparks Fire

BEAMINSTER, DORSET — More than 1,000 homes and businesses in and around Beaminster have been left without broadband and landline services after a Range Rover crashed into a telegraph pole late on Sunday night (12 October 2025), causing a fire that destroyed the vehicle and severely damaged fibre infrastructure.

Emergency services were called to the scene at around 10.49 pm on White Sheet Hill, between Beaminster and the A356, following reports of a vehicle fire. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that a Range Rover had collided with a telegraph pole before bursting into flames.

Fire Crews Extinguish Blaze

A spokesperson for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service provided the following statement:

“We were called to White Sheet Hill, between Beaminster and the A356, at 10.49pm on Sunday night (12 October) for a vehicle fire. Beaminster firefighters attended in both the fire engine and the small 4×4 appliance, and one breathing apparatus wearer and two hose reel jets were used to extinguish the fire, which destroyed the vehicle.

The vehicle had collided with a telegraph pole and was in a hedge, with no sign of the driver. The incident was left with the police, and our stop was at 12.12am.”

The fire caused extensive damage not only to the vehicle but also to the surrounding infrastructure, including a wooden telegraph pole carrying essential broadband and phone lines for the local area.

Driver Missing from Scene

Dorset Police attended the scene but were unable to locate the driver of the vehicle. Despite the use of police dogs and searches in the nearby area, no one was found.

The road was closed overnight as emergency services dealt with the fire and made the scene safe. It was later reopened on Monday morning once the recovery of the burnt-out vehicle had been completed.

Major Broadband Disruption

The collision caused severe disruption to local communication services after the fire destroyed a key Openreach telegraph pole and melted nearby fibre cabling.

According to Openreach, the engineering arm of BT responsible for the UK’s broadband infrastructure, more than 1,000 premises in and around Beaminster have been affected. The outage has left homes and businesses without internet and landline access, with repair work expected to take several days.

An Openreach spokesperson said on Tuesday:

“Our engineers continue to repair the damage ahead of replacing the pole that was destroyed following Sunday’s incident, which saw a car catch fire.

With the burnt-out vehicle removed yesterday (Tuesday), we’re fully assessing the impact and how much damage has been caused. Then, we hope to have a clearer indication of exactly how long it will take before services are restored.

Installing a new pole and rebuilding the damaged fibre network is a complex task, but we understand how disruptive it is for local residents to be without broadband.

Our engineers are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore services and get things back to normal.”

Complex Repairs Underway

The company said that the repair process is not straightforward due to the extent of the fire damage. Fibre cables, connectors, and network distribution points were all affected by the blaze.

The spokesperson added that replacing the pole involves specialist equipment and coordination with local authorities to ensure safety during the works. Openreach engineers must first clear and assess the site, replace the pole, and then carefully reconnect and test multiple lines feeding homes and businesses in the area.

“Installing new network infrastructure following a fire is time-consuming and requires precision,” the spokesperson explained. “We’re doing everything we can to get people back up and running as quickly as possible, but it’s really not a simple job. It takes specialist equipment and a lot of manual, time-consuming labour.”

Local Impact

Residents across Beaminster and surrounding villages have reported losing broadband and phone services since late Sunday night. Many have been unable to work from home or access online services, with some local businesses also hit hard by the disruption.

“It’s incredibly frustrating,” said one Beaminster resident. “We rely on broadband for everything — from work to streaming and even keeping in touch with family. I’ve had to use my mobile data for three days straight.”

Some residents have taken to social media to express concerns about the lack of updates and the challenge of being cut off from essential online services.

Local businesses, particularly those dependent on digital transactions or online communication, have also felt the impact. A café owner in Beaminster’s town centre said: “We’ve been unable to process card payments for two days, which has been a nightmare. It’s cash only for now.”

Police Investigation

Dorser Police spokesperson refused to give a statement to our British Association of Journalists reporter.

Timeline of Events

10:49 pm, Sunday 12 October: Fire service called to reports of a vehicle fire on White Sheet Hill.
10:50–11:30 pm: Police and firefighters attend the scene; the vehicle is found alight after colliding with a telegraph pole.
12:12 a.m., Monday, 13 October: Fire fully extinguished; incident handed over to the police.
Monday morning: BT Openreach engineers begin assessing the damage; the road is closed
Tuesday: Burnt-out vehicle removed; engineers continue damage assessment and preparation for pole replacement.

Restoration Efforts Ongoing

Openreach has said it cannot yet give an exact time frame for when full service will be restored, though engineers are “working around the clock” to reconnect affected customers.

Repairs are expected to continue into the latter part of the week, with temporary measures being considered to prioritise essential services.

Customers are being advised to check for updates through their broadband provider’s service status pages.

Community Reaction

Local councillors have urged residents to remain patient while repair work continues and to check on neighbours who may be more vulnerable without internet access.

Councillor Emma Trowbridge, who represents the Beaminster area, said: “This is an unfortunate and serious incident that has left many residents disconnected. I’ve spoken with Openreach and Dorset Council officers to ensure every effort is being made to restore services quickly. I’d also like to thank the emergency services for their swift response on the night.”