Firefighters spend second night tackling ‘devastating’ New Forest blaze as 120 emergency workers battle inferno
An area the size of 140 football pitches has reportedly been destroyed
Firefighters are preparing to work into the night as they tackle a “devastating” blaze on internationally protected heathland in the New Forest National Park, which is “rarer than rainforests”.
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Firefighters have been battling a raging inferno which broke out yesterday at 5.30pm on the A31 and swiftly spread through the surrounding vegetation and heathland.
On Monday evening, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews were “set to work into the night again” as they continued to tackle the fire, adding that it expected to have a “significant presence for several days” at the scene.
Drivers were reportedly told by a policewoman to get out of their cars and move to the central reservation "if you wan't to stay alive".
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service received more than more than 160 emergency reports of a vehicle on fire on the A31 at around 5.24pm on Sunday.
The blaze, initially triggered by a van fire, brought traffic to a halt and led to the road being closed in both directions.
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The A31 in Hampshire remains closed in both directions, National Highways said.
Firefighters will remain on the scene tackling the blaze for "the foreseeable future", a spokesperson for the service confirmed.
The westbound carriageway is closed between the M27 junction two at Ower and the A338 at Ringwood.
The eastbound carriageway is closed between the A338 and M27 junction one at Cadnam.
The wind carried the smell of smoke Hampshire residents reported smelling the smoke from up to 100 miles away, which Surrey Fire Service explained was due to the “current direction of the wind”.
The fire service said the blaze spread from the vehicle to the central reservation before progressing into nearby heathland in a south-easterly direction towards Backley Bottom, and is in a “challenging rural location”.
A spokesperson for the fire service explained that fires in the countryside can be especially challenging because of the difficulties in transporting enough water to the incident.
They said: "Firefighters continue to tackle the fire affecting heathland near the A31 and will remain on site for the foreseeable future.
"We continue to have a significant presence in the area as crews work to bring the fire under control."
No properties have had to be evacuated so far, but the fire service said that households will be contacted directly if that changes.
The fire is believed to have began in a lorry near the Picket Post services on the A31.
Police said 23 cars had been abandoned on the A31 after the blaze.
Forestry England said in a statement that flames spread from the A31 to Bratley Wood and have engulfed the surrounding area.
An area the size of 140 football pitches - 100 hectares (247 acres) - is estimated to have been destroyed by the fire, it estimates.
The area hit by the blaze, which started after a vehicle caught fire on the nearby A31, is protected heathland which is home to a number of rare species, according to the New Forest National Park Authority.
A spokeswoman for the New Forest National Park Authority said: “It’s rare heathland, which globally is more rare than rainforest with lots of rare species.
“We have the highest concentration of lowland heathland in western Europe and it’s internationally protected.
“It is home to all six UK native reptiles, Dartford warblers, nightjars, insects – it’s devastating.”
The spokeswoman added that it was too early to tell how much damage had been caused because the incident was still ongoing.
Twenty-six fire engines and four water carries were initially at the site near Ringwood on Sunday evening, which was scaled down to 10 on Monday.
The fire service has warned people living nearby that it may need to lay hoses across their property as it draws water from a nearby lake.
The statement continued: “Firefighters are also laying a high-volume pump (HVP) system across Ringwood to provide a reliable and sustainable supply of water to crews tackling the fire.
“The fire is in a challenging rural location, where maintaining a steady water supply can be difficult.“The HVP system allows us to move large amounts of water over a longer distance, helping crews maintain a continuous supply while they work to bring the fire under control.
“People in and around Ringwood may see firefighters and equipment involved in laying the system.
“This is an important part of our response and will help support firefighting operations at the scene. Please do not drive over the hose as this could cause damage and result in loss of water.”
There are more than 120 firefighters working to prevent further fire spread.
— Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service (@HantsIOW_fire) August 10, 2026
We have 10 fire engines and 13 off-road vehicles in attendance, and we plan to maintain this number until at least midnight, although it is likely to be required for longer.https://t.co/5ndv17oih8 pic.twitter.com/hL2xH3SKxK
Sue Bassett, a worker at a Shell garage at the services, said the road and petrol station had been shut, but the fire had moved away from the carriageway.
She said: “The smoke is visible from here, you can see smoke from miles around, it’s still going strong in the forest but not leaping on to the road.
“There are lots of firefighters, they are pumping water up from the lakes, they are having to run out pipes over the carriageway so they can’t open up the road.”
She added: “It’s almost scary with the rivers running low on water, it’s a challenge.”
Forestry England said in a statement that it was supporting the emergency services tackling the fire, which it said had spread to Bratley Wood and the surrounding area which includes a Canadian war memorial.
The statement continues: “The fire is currently estimated as having affected over 100 hectares.“Incidents like this can be devastating to all of the things that make the New Forest so special.“
"Our team will be carefully assessing the impact once the incident is fully resolved.”
A Hampshire Constabulary spokeswoman said that 23 vehicles were left behind by motorists on Sunday, which were moved by police, with the owners asked to call 101 to be reunited with their vehicles.
A National Highways spokesman said its contractors were on the scene, and added: “There is significant damage to the road surface, road safety barrier and boundary fencing as a result of the fire and a subsequent oil spillage from the burnt=out vehicle.“
"All of which will require emergency repairs when safe to do so.“
The road is likely to be closed throughout the day, and at this stage there is no estimated time for reopening.”
Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident on Sunday as two large fires in woodland put a strain on resources.
Several wildfires have broken out in the UK over recent weeks, including large blazes at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, Headon Warren on the Isle of Wight, Llanwonno in the Rhondda Valleys, South Wales, and the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland.
Hot weather continued to build on Sunday, with the south and south-eastern parts of England expected to have the highest temperatures.
According to the Fire Severity Index, any wildfires are likely to be exceptionally severe on Sunday in almost all of the east and south-east of England.“Exceptional” severity is the highest ranking.