Firefighters extinguished a one-acre Bolton's Bench Fire on Friday afternoon near Lyndhurst while crews were still battling a larger blaze in the New Forest. Beaulieu and Redbridge fire stations were called to Beaulieu Road around midday, and they left the scene at 1.23pm after the flames were brought under control.
Bolton's Bench on Friday
The fire involved around one acre of gorse at Bolton's Bench, a fresh outbreak in the same area where firefighters were already dealing with a much larger wildfire near the A31. Crews used four hose reel jets, four main jets and an ultra-high-pressure lance to stop the spread.
That response gives the clearest picture of the scale on the ground. This was not a small patch of smouldering vegetation; it needed several lines of attack at once, and it was handled before the fire could grow beyond the area already affected.
Beaulieu and Redbridge response
Crews from Beaulieu and Redbridge fire stations were sent to the scene at around midday on Friday. They were working while the larger wildfire continued to burn across a large area of New Forest heathland, after it had already closed the A31.
The fresh fire at Bolton's Bench was extinguished, but firefighters were still dealing with the bigger blaze nearby. Dry vegetation and strong winds increased the risk of more fires, which is why crews urged people to take extra care outdoors and help prevent further countryside fires.
A31 wildfire risk
The timing matters because the second fire started while the first was still active. Crews had been working in hot conditions to contain the wider fire, and the new outbreak showed how quickly another patch of gorse could catch and demand an immediate response.
For anyone heading into the New Forest, the practical step is simple: avoid anything that could start a new fire and treat the area around Bolton's Bench and Beaulieu Road as vulnerable until the larger blaze is fully dealt with.
