Hampshire fire: 16 hectares devastated in ferocious Longmoor Camp inferno with smell of smoke covering county

An open blaze broke out on Friday near Longmoor Army Camp. The stench of smoke could be smelt across several parts of the county.

As previously reported in The News, around 20 crews were initially deployed to the inferno. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) said flames spread across 16 hectares of woodland and scrubland.

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They said: ‘Multiple crews from across the county, along with assistance from Surrey Fire and Rescue, responded to the incident. Initially, four hose reel jets and four land rovers were utilised to combat the fire. The primary objective was to confine the fire within a designated area and prevent its escalation, minimising environmental damage.’

HIWFRS said various relief crews were needed to fight the blaze, which persisted throughout the weekend. ‘Due to heavy smoke from the incident, various air quality advisories were sent out to make locals aware as the fire progressed,’ the force added.

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Crews were able to contain the fire to a specific point on Sunday. HIWFRS said the incident was then scaled down, with emergency personnel remaining on-site to monitor hotspots and prevent the fire from spreading.

‘On Sunday evening the incident was further downscaled to only one engine and two land rovers, ensuring ongoing monitoring and preventing any potential escalation,’ they added. ‘After conducting a watching brief overnight crews are now continuing to extinguish the remainder of the fire ahead of a further scaling down of resources at the incident.’