In pictures: Giant "boa constrictor” pipe travels miles to pump water to A31 fire - update

Firefighters continue to tackle around 1.6 square kilometres following the van fire which spread to heathland near Ringwood on Sunday around 5.30pm.

Fire crews again worked throughout the night with a focus on containing the fire and managing hotspots and flare-ups as they “continue to respond to this complex and ongoing incident”, the fire service said.

An important part of efforts to bring the area under control is by pumping water from Hightown Lake via a massive waterpipe that runs through residential areas in Ringwood and out several miles into the New Forest.

Several fire vehicles have been camped by the lake day and night as thousands of litres of water are transported by the meandering snake-like tube.

Residents revealed how they were suddenly awoken around 3am on Monday morning by firefighters telling them they had to move their cars as the pipe - which cars cannot drive over - were being laid down blocking driveways. “There were blue flashing lights outside then they knocked on doors and said our cars would be stuck on our driveways if they were not moved,” one local said.

“Since then they’ve been pumping water from the lake day and night - apart from one night when they turned it off. It makes a loud humming noise so has kept some people awake. It looks like a giant boa constrictor.”

Another person raised concerns over the lake and said: “They’ve been pumping so much water from the lake it has now dropped down by about three feet. It was only about 12 feet at its deepest point anyway. There are parts by the outside that are now only a couple of feet deep and some of the marine life will be affected.”

A resident whose home backs onto the lake said: “The noise from the pipe has kept me awake and the TV suddenly turned on in the night - I think it is all connected to the large generator machine that is pumping the water.

“You still get smells of the smoke when the wind blows in this direction. The heathland is very hot underground which is why there could be flare-ups.”

The fire service said in an update on Wednesday morning: “Firefighters have worked throughout the night with a focus on containing the fire and managing hotspots and flareups. Challenging terrain and limited access to the remote location continue to make firefighting operations difficult, and the high temperatures forecast for today are expected to add to those challenges.

“With the current warm and dry conditions continuing, we urge anyone enjoying the countryside to take extra care. You can help reduce the risk of fires by avoiding the use of disposable barbecues, not lighting campfires, and ensuring cigarettes are fully extinguished and disposed of responsibly.

“Road closures remain in place while emergency services continue to respond to this complex and ongoing incident.”