Heathland fire 'under control' after major damage

A large heathland blaze that has had a "significant impact" on the Isle of Wight landscape is "under control", according to the National Trust that owns the land.

The trust said firefighters continued to make good progress tackling remaining hotspots at the gorse fire at Headon Warren, in the West Wight.

The fire was first reported shortly after 09:00 BST on Thursday, and a helicopter was brought in to water-drop inaccessible areas over 25 hectares (62 acres) of woodland.

A spokesperson for charity, said: "Recovery of this special place will take time, and we'll continue to assess the impact of the fire and support the landscape's restoration."

Crews from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service worked overnight to try to extinguish the fire using jets and hose reels.

Additional fire appliances were taken to the island to support efforts to fight the fire on the National Trust land.

James Lucy, incident commander for the service, said: "The work would be ongoing throughout Friday but pointed out the type of fire was "resource intensive and can go on for a long period of time".

The fire service said it was unable to confirm the cause of the fire.

Wildfire tactical advisor Larry Mackrell said the operation was made more difficult by the challenging terrain, the remote location and its proximity to the cliff edge.

He said they were working closely with fellow emergency services and the local council, as well as the National Trust, Southern Water and ferry companies, to ensure they could maintain cover across the island while dealing with the heathland fire.

The service said local farmers had assisted crews by using tractors to create fire breaks and helping them contain the fire.

Smoke from the fire was visible on the mainland and crews from across England's south coast were sent to the island to assist with the operation.

Wightlink, which runs ferry services between Portsmouth and Lymington and the Isle of Wight, said it had assisted the fire service by transporting fire engines, which had led to some delays for passengers.

BBC reporter Mike Apps, who was at the scene, said: "The land in front of me has been completely scorched by the blaze that has ripped through here, still smouldering in some areas."

He said smoke could be seen from miles around and 10 fire engines from the mainland had travelled over to support the local efforts.

A National Trust spokesperson said: "We're pleased to see that the wildfire at Headon Warren is now under control, as firefighters continue to make good progress tackling remaining hotspots and smouldering areas.

They shared their "heartfelt thanks" to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, the helicopter crew and all firefighters and support teams who "worked tirelessly" throughout the "complex and prolonged incident".

They, added the trust was also "deeply grateful" to its tenants, local organisations, landowners, neighbouring farmers, National Trust staff and "the many individuals who have stepped in to support the response over recent days".

"The fire has had a significant impact on this important area of heathland. Recovery of this special place will take time, and we'll continue to assess the impact of the fire and support the landscape's restoration."

Earlier, the trust warned the risk of wildfire remained "exceptionally high" in the warm, dry weather.

The fire service has asked the public to avoid the area and said it was expecting to remain at the scene for the next 24 to 72 hours.

Isle of Wight Council posted a pubic safety notice on social media earlier.

It said all public rights of way leading to and across Headon Warren from Alum Bay Road (Old and New), Headon Rise and Cliff Road were closed under an Emergency Temporary Traffic Regulation Order.

"This is to ensure the public are protected and to allow emergency services to carry out their essential tasks," it said.

The closures were to remain in place until emergency services had completed their duties, it said.