Forest recovery to take 'many years' after wildfire

The New Forest National Park will take "many years to recover" from a wildfire that has been burning for 10 days, Forestry England has said.

A major incident was declared after a van fire on the A31 near Ringwood, Hampshire, spread and destroyed about 1.6 sq km (0.6 sq miles) of heathland.

Highways England said the affected stretch of dual carriageway needed significant repairs, including about 1km (0.6 miles) of boundary fencing and hundreds of metres of barrier.

It said work had already begun but the road, the main route through the New Forest, was expected to remain closed in both directions until at least Thursday.

Forestry England thanked firefighters for their "incredible work" in "such tough conditions and over so many days".

It also thanked its own staff who worked to cut fire breaks and mulch vegetation to prevent the fire from spreading further.

A spokesperson said: "The fire has damaged a huge area of heathland and it will take many years for it to fully recover.

"Our staff are now working on assessing the impact of the fire on the landscape and how we can support its recovery.

"Where possible we will also be carrying out wildlife rescues with specialist teams."

Wildlife expert Dr Mark Hardiman of Portsmouth University said it could take up to two decades for the area to fully recover.

He said: "The wildlife will probably recover slightly faster.

"The vegetation - probably what you'll see in the next few months is grasses will pop up first, then you'll perhaps see heather recovering, but in terms of mature heathlands, we are talking maybe 15 to 20 years."

Firefighters are likely to remain at the scene until at least Wednesday to monitor and dampen the devastated area, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said.

Assistant director James Lucy said the "major incident" was over, with the fire surrounded and under control.

The A31 westbound is 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.