Video footage shows firefighters battling A31 heathland blaze near M27 days after it started as route shut

Efforts to contain a spreading fire on a historic heathland are continuing - with nearby routes remaining closed.

Several crews are at the scene of the blaze near the A31 in the New Forest, which started on the evening of August 9. National Highways reports that the route remains shut in both directions after a HGV caught alight and the flames quickly spread to the nearby woodland.

The smoke was visible from Portsmouth and across the Solent on Sunday. Fire crews from Gosport, Fareham, and Portchester were scrambled among others. The closures on the A31 is between the M27 junction 2 and the A3338 for Ringwood. Road closures are expected to remain in place until August 20, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) has released video footage of personnel trying to contain the smoke. The fire service said: “Once again firefighters have been working through the night at the scene of the New Forest wildfire.

“Alongside colleagues from other fire services, we have been using various different techniques to support firefighting efforts, including mulching and tree felling. Specialists in a technique known has backburning have been brought in to purposefully burn away strips of heathland, in a controlled way, in order to remove available fuels, creating a fire break which helps to prevent the blaze from spreading further.

Wind is blowing smoke from the fire into the direction of Roger Penny Way, so we ask that you drive with caution in that particular area. Our teams continue to make good progress, but we still expect to be on the scene for the next few days, with the A31 remaining closed. We all have a responsibility to help prevent wildfire, particularly with an extreme heat warning in place.

“It only takes one careless action to start a wildfire, so please help our firefighters and protect our countryside.”

More than 120 firefighters were called to battle the inferno on Monday in scorching temperatures and arduous terrain. Shantha Dickinson, deputy chief fire officer for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS), said that 1.6 square kilometres had been affected by the blaze and firefighters were expected to remain at the scene for several more days.

HIWFRS said the force received more than 160 emergency calls about the HGV blaze on the eastbound route of the A31 at roughly 5.24pm on the evening of August 9. A total of 26 fire engines, four water carriers, six off-road vehicles and multiple command vehicles were deployed scene.

Some motorists had to abandon their cars, according to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Roads Policing Unit. The force asked them to contact police about recovering them. A total of 23 vehicles were left behind and moved by officers.

The fire service said the blaze spread from the vehicle to the central reservation before progressing into nearby heathland in a south-easterly direction towards Backley Bottom, and is in a “challenging rural location”. On Monday afternoon, the service was using drones to monitor the spread of the fire.

A high-volume pump (HVP) system was laid across Ringwood to maintain the water supply to contain the flames. HIWFRS said the fire is in a challenging rural location, where maintaining a steady water supply can be difficult.

Sign up for our free newsletters and let the headlines come straight to you

The area hit by the blaze is protected heathland which is home to a number of rare species, according to the New Forest National Park Authority. “It’s rare heathland which globally is more rare than rainforest with lots of rare species,” a spokeswoman said.

“We have the highest concentration of lowland heathland in western Europe and it’s internationally protected. It is home to all six UK native reptiles, Dartford warblers, nightjars, insects – it’s devastating.”

The spokeswoman added that it was too early to tell how much damage had been caused because the incident was still ongoing. Motorists have been urged to avoid the area and use alternative routes whenever possible.

A local resident said the fire was understood to have started in a lorry close to Picket Post services on the A31. Sue Bassett, a worker at a Shell garage at the services, said on Monday the road and petrol station had been shut, but the fire had moved away from the carriageway.

She said: “The smoke is visible from here, you can see smoke from miles around, it’s still going strong in the forest but not leaping on to the road. There are lots of firefighters, they are pumping water up from the lakes, they are having to run out pipes over the carriageway so they can’t open up the road.”

She added: “It’s almost scary with the rivers running low on water, it’s a challenge.”

Forestry England said it would be “carefully assessing the impact” of the fire after it was put out but said: “Incidents like this can be devastating to all of the things that make the New Forest so special.”