Huge blaze rips through Browndown Range near Gosport leaving fire crews 'exhausted'
DOZENS of firefighters were called in to fight a huge blaze at a former military training site in the early hours of this morning.
About 30 officers from Gosport, Fareham and Lyndhurst were called to Browndown Ranges to battle a large gorse fire.
The alert was raised by a sailor off the coast who spotted the flames rising from the historic military base at about 4.30am.
Firefighters struggled to get to the scene, having to drag heavy kit across historic First World War trenches and through thick undergrowth.
At its peak, almost 10 acres of gorse were ablaze, with flames hitting 15ft high.
Officers using eight high-pressure hose reels, beaters and a water carrier took three hours to bring the fire under control.
Tony Read, watch manager of Gosport fire station, said crews were left exhausted by the challenging terrain.
‘It was very hot and sweaty work,’ he told The News. ‘The guys always work hard but Browndown is particularly challenging.
‘You have got gorse and bracken pulling at your feet. You are trying to drag 160m-long hose reels up through the trenches - it’s very, very tiring for the guys.’
He added conditions helped the fire to spread rapidly across the site.
‘Gorse produces its own oil, so when the ground is tinder-dry and wind gets blowing a bit it helps fuel the flames,’ he said. ‘We’re all pretty tired now.’
In all, four appliances were called in from Gosport and Fareham, along with a water carrier and specialist wildfire unit.
Officers were still damping down the scene at 7.30am.
Mr Read added the cause of the fire was ‘unknown’.
The last major blaze at the site took place in July last year.