A van caught fire on the A31 near Ringwood in the New Forest on Sunday evening
The flames quickly spread to the neighbouring heathland, an ecologically important habitat home to a wide range of wildlife and sensitive wetlands
Plumes of smoke drifted across the New Forest and could be smelt on the Isle of Wight
Some motorists were forced to abandon their cars on the dual carriageway
The road - a major route through the Hampshire national park - remains closed in both directions
The fire broke out as a drought is expected to be declared in more parts of England on Monday
Image source, GoogleWith the A31 still closed in both directions, Bournemouth Airport has issued a warning to passengers.
It says anyone intending to travel or meet passengers should allow plenty of extra time for your journey to the airport at Hurn near Bournemouth.
Listen: BBC Radio Solent has been providing the latest on the fire
The fire has raised concerns about its potential impact on the New Forest’s fragile ecosystem.
A spokeswoman for the New Forest National Park Authority says: “It’s rare heathland, which globally is more rare than rainforest with lots of rare species.
“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, with the response to the fire still ongoing.
Image source, PA MediaNew Forest ponies caught up in the area of the major fire are likely to have moved away at the first smell of smoke.
Andrew Parry-Norton, chairman of the New Forest's Commoners Defence Association, says: "The ponies will have moved away very quickly.
"As soon as they got the slightest smell of smoke they would have gone in a flash. They will be absolutely fine."
The New Forest's free-roaming ponies, pigs, donkeys and cattle are owned by the commoners - people who own or occupy land with ancient rights attached.
The fire service says it has installed a high volume pump system across Ringwood to supply crews with the water they need.
“The fire is in a challenging rural location, where maintaining a steady water supply can be difficult," the fire service says.
“The HVP system allows us to move large amounts of water over a longer distance, helping crews maintain a continuous supply while they work to bring the fire under control.
"This is an important part of our response and will help support firefighting operations at the scene. Please do not drive over the hose as this could cause damage and result in loss of water.”
Image source, PA MediaBBC South environment correspondent Jon Cuthill - who is also an on-call firefighter involved in efforts to tackle the fire - has returned to the scene.
"This started as a van fire, but unfortunately this fire spread to the heath," he says.
"Because of the conditions - because it's so tinder dry and there was a wind, it spread very rapidly.
"This is still clearly an ongoing incident. There are still columns of fire going up from the heathland - this is devastating for the New Forest national park.
"This lowland heath is such a key habitat for wildlife, it supports so many species - and I'm standing watching it burn."
Image source, Nenad ŽilićLindsey Legg was travelling back to Bournemouth from Heathrow with her husband and three children when they came across the fire on the A31.
She told BBC Radio Solent: "We started seeing people abandoning their cars. Women and children were walking with buggies.
"Police told us 'you cant go any further'. We realised the fire was going through the field - it was pretty scary.
"We had to abandon the car and cross the central reservation to get away from the side of the fire. We thought the car was going to go up at one point. It was pretty hairy.
"We could see the flames licking through the woods.
"Massive hats off to the fire brigade - they did a wonderful job."
Smoke can still be seen rising from the fire at the heathland.
The fire service says 10 fire engines and 10 off-road vehicles are at scene, with crews continuing to work "in challenging conditions".
Image source, Andrew Matthews/PA Wire
Image source, Andrew Matthews/PA Wire
Image source, Andrew Matthews/PA WireThe vehicle fire on the A31, which spread to heathland on either side of the carriageway, caused a huge plume of smoke that drifted across the New Forest on Sunday evening.
Resident Debs Stafford captured the scene from about two miles away while on a family walk at Andrew's Mare.
Image source, Robert StibySmoke from the fire drifted across both sides of the Solent, prompting fire crews to urge people to keep doors and windows shut.
The plume could be seen from a great distance, including from Portsmouth about 30 miles (40km) away.
But the fire service says the smoke has reduced significantly and is "now much less widespread".
Police have advised motorists who had to leave their vehicles behind on the A31 to get in touch.
Drivers are being asked to call 101 with their number plate details so arrangements can be made for them to get their vehicles back.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Road Policing said when calling drivers should also give a reference of INC-20260809-2000.
Image source, Jim ChampionThe fire is burning in the heart of the New Forest National Park, spreading from the A31 towards Brackley Bottom, near the popular visitor destination of Bolderwood.
The New Forest's heathland is a rare and internationally important habitat, supporting a rich diversity of wildlife, including reptiles and vulnerable ground-nesting birds.
Its ancient woodlands are home to centuries-old oak, beech and holly trees, forming one of the most distinctive landscapes in southern England.
The blaze will raise concerns about the potential long-term impact on habitats that can take decades to recover from significant fire damage.
Firefighters tackling the fire have warned they will be at the scene for the “foreseeable future”.
Twenty-six fire engines, four water carriers, six off-road vehicles and several command vehicles were initially at the site near Ringwood on Sunday evening.
But this morning this has been scaled down to 10 fire engines and 10 off-road vehicles.
In a statement, the fire service says: “Firefighters continue to tackle the fire affecting heathland near the A31 and will remain on site for the foreseeable future.
“We continue to have a significant presence in the area as crews work to bring the fire under control.”
Image source, Hampshire ConstabularyThe fire service says it received more than 160 emergency calls about the original fire.
It says the flames spread in a south-easterly direction towards Backley Bottom.
A large hose has now been laid from Hightown Lake, just east of Ringwood, to supply water to crews at the scene.
In some areas, the hose crosses tracks and passes through private property.
Residents are being urged not to drive over it, as doing so could damage the pipe and disrupt the water supply needed to fight the fire.
The A31 - the main dual carriageway through the New Forest - has been closed in both directions.
National Highways says it remains closed westbound between the M27 at junction 2 for Ower and the A338 at Ringwood, as well as eastbound between the A338 and M27 junction 1 for Cadnam.
As a result, traffic is busy in villages in the New Forest, including Ashurst and Lyndhurst.
A van caught fire on the A31 near Ringwood, Hampshire, shortly after 17:20 BST on Sunday.
The fire spread to heathland by the side of the road and some motorists to abandon their vehicles .
Twenty-six fire crews alongside water carriers and specialist off-road units were sent to the scene as the flames quickly spread.
Smoke from the fire drifted across the New Forest and could even be smelt on the Isle of Wight, with the fire service urging people to keep doors and windows shut.
Firefighters have been working through the night after a van fire spread into heathland in the New Forest.
Some motorists were forced to abandon their vehicles on the A31 after the fire broke out on Sunday evening.
We will bring you live updates as the emergency response continues.
