Tourism10 August, 20263 min read
More Than 120 Firefighters Battle New Forest Blaze After A31 Van Fire Near Ringwood
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A van fire on the A31 near Ringwood sparked a blaze across New Forest heathland. More than 120 firefighters battled the blaze overnight, with the A31 closed in both directions.
New Forest blaze spreads
A van caught fire on the A31 near Ringwood on Sunday, and the flames spread from the vehicle to the central reservation before progressing into nearby heathland in the New Forest National Park. Fire service chief Gillie Molland, lead ranger for the New Forest National Park Authority, said: “Globally, heathland is more rare than rainforest and takes decades to develop – the New Forest has the most extensive area of lowland heath remaining in Europe.” The fire service said more than 120 firefighters were on the scene battling the heat and arduous terrain, with 10 fire engines and 13 off-road vehicles involved as crews worked to prevent further spread.
The blaze was monitored with drones over a one square kilometre area of heathland off the A31, and the fire service warned people living nearby it may need to lay hoses across their property as it draws water from a nearby lake. The BBC reported that the firefighting operation would continue into the night, with Forestry England saying the blaze was under control but expecting the operation to continue for several days.
Tourists and drivers affected
Motorists were told to avoid the area as road closures remained in place, with National Highways saying the A31 dual carriageway through the New Forest would remain closed in both directions until further notice. The BBC described how Lindsey Legg, travelling back from Heathrow to Bournemouth with her husband and three children, said police forced them to leave their car and that “women and children were walking with buggies” on the road. The BBC also reported that police moved 23 vehicles left behind by motorists so owners could collect them later, while a National Highways spokesman said there was significant damage to the road surface and crash barrier following the fire and oil spillage.
Forestry England said it was supporting the fire service with car park closures to make sure crews had easy access, and its spokeswoman Esta Mion said: “There are still flames on site... but it is under control.” The London Evening Standard said the fire service asked people to continue to avoid the area while teams worked to save “this part of our beautiful countryside,” with the operation using drones and specialist equipment.
Ecology and recovery at risk
Officials said the fire threatened rare species and biodiversity across internationally protected heathland, with Molland warning that “Recovery is possible but it can take many years, with some features of mature heathland taking decades to return.” The BBC said the impact on the forest ecosystem and rare species would be severe, describing it as “rare heathland, which globally is more rare than rainforest,” and adding that it is internationally protected. Forestry England said it was supporting the emergency services tackling the fire, which it said had spread to Bratley Wood and the surrounding area, and its statement said its team would be “carefully assessing the impact once the incident is fully resolved.”
The London Evening Standard reported that the fire service was monitoring the spread of the fire and that there was “no need for any properties to be evacuated” at the time, though affected households would be contacted directly if that changed. As the operation continued, the BBC said smoke drifted across both sides of the Solent and fire crews urged people to keep doors and windows shut, while National Highways said there was no estimated time for reopening the road, a main tourist route to Dorset and south-west England.