Firefighters were still working through a second night on the New Forest blaze, and road closures remained in place on the A31 near Ringwood. For anyone asking, Is the A31 still closed? the restriction was still affecting traffic on Monday while crews stayed on scene.
The fire began on Sunday after a van caught fire on the A31 near Ringwood, then spread from the central reservation into nearby heathland in a south-easterly direction. Hampshire fire and rescue service said it received 160 emergency calls and sent 26 fire engines and four water carriers at first, before Monday afternoon brought more than 120 firefighters, 10 fire engines and 13 off-road vehicles to the scene.
Gillie Molland on New Forest heathland
Gillie Molland, the New Forest national park authority's lead ranger, said: "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". She added: "The loss of rare species and biodiversity is devastating and upsets the delicate ecological balance of the forest, as well as reducing grazing land available for commoners’ animals."
Police drones were being used on Monday afternoon to monitor the spread of the fire, which was covering a 1 sq km area of heathland off the A31. The road closures stayed in place while teams worked to save the area, and the fire service said it expected to keep a significant presence for several days.
Hampshire fire and rescue service response
The fire service planned to maintain 10 fire engines and 13 off-road vehicles until at least midnight, with longer deployment likely. That left drivers with a simple practical position on Monday: the A31 remained closed where the fire response was still active, and the reopening point had not been set.
Hampshire fire and rescue service said it was too early to tell how much damage had been caused, even as crews continued into a second night. Gillie Molland said: "Some rare heathland species may be lost or recover very slowly if local populations have been affected".
