Firefighters tackle wildfire for eighth day
Firefighters tackle wildfire for eighth day
Charlotte Coles - South of EnglandSun, August 16, 2026 at 7:32 AM UTC
0
Firefighters tackling the New Forest wildfire are focusing on extinguishing hotspots
Firefighters tackling a wildfire in the New Forest say they are focusing on extinguishing hot spots as the operation enters its eighth day.
The blaze in Hampshire began when a van caught fire on the A31 on 9 August. The road, which is the route between Southampton and Bournemouth, will remain closed until at least Thursday, National Highways has said.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) said firefighters spent Saturday creating a "wet line" around the incident ground to help prevent the fire spreading, with a "significant presence' remaining at the scene.
It comes after an earlier update from the fire service on Saturday, saying the fire had been "fully surrounded".
The fire service says the remote heathland terrain and "limited access to water is making for complex firefighting operation".
Advertisement
HIWFRS is urging people to avoid the area where crews are working.
The service said: "Accessing an active fire ground puts people at risk, impacts our firefighting operations, risks damage to the critical equipment we have on site, and could therefore cause further delays to this lengthy incident."
On Saturday the fire service said the area highlighted in this map was still part of its operational response zone
The fire service revealed on Friday evening that the blaze has affected an area of approximately 1.6 sq km (0.6 sq miles) and 169 fire appliances have attended from 93 fire stations.
On Friday evening, the UK's mobile phone alert system was used to warn people not to light anything which could spark a wildfire, including barbecues and garden incinerators.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has told members of the public to take the warning "seriously" and said it was triggered at the request of firefighters.
More stories from Hampshire & the Isle of Wight
Watch the latest episode of South Today
Listen to the latest news from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
-
A31 closure 'painful' for local businesses
Public urged to avoid 'surrounded' New Forest fire site
Related links
-
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service
Source: “AOL Breaking”
