Fire deployment reduced as forest emergency eases

The number of fire crews dealing with a long-running blaze in a national park is being reduced as the emergency draws to a close.

The New Forest wildfire began on Sunday 9 August when a van burst into flames on the A31 near Ringwood, closing the major tourist road for nine days so far.

Firefighters will be on the scene until at least Wednesday to monitor and dampen the devastated area, which spans about 1.6 sq km (0.6 sq miles), Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said.

However, assistant director James Lucy said the "major incident" status of the event had been declared over, now that the fire was surrounded and under control.

Lucy, who has been the daytime incident commander, said: "Our footprint is reducing in the area and hopefully we'll be in a position to hand over to the landowners but also then highways so that they can... reopen the road.

"Certainly we'll be on the scene for the next 24 to 36 hours as a minimum.

"That may go on slightly longer as we look for hot spots, continue damping down and deal with flare-ups."

The stretch of the A31 westbound remains closed between the M27 junction 2 at Ower and the A338 at Ringwood, and eastbound between the A338 and the M27 at junction 1 for Cadnam.

The road closure is expected to remain in place until at least Thursday. It needs resurfacing, barriers repaired and fencing replaced.

Driver are urged to stick to the diversion routes in place and and ignore sat navs.

Forestry England car parks, roads and walking and cycling routes around Bratley View and Bolderwood also remain closed.

Phil Carrigan, chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, said that recent weather changes had helped reduce the number of wildfires in England, although operations remained in south Wales, Cambridgeshire and the West Midlands.

However, he told BBC Breakfast there may be more hot weather ahead.

He said: "I'm not sure it's behind us. There's already conversations about particularly hot days in September, so if we move into a sixth heatwave we need to be prepared."

On Friday evening, the UK's mobile phone alert system was used to warn people not to light anything which could spark a wildfire, including barbecues and garden incinerators.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has told members of the public to take the warning "seriously" and said it was triggered at the request of firefighters.