‘Real struggle’ to tame New Forest blaze as UK set for hottest summer on record

Firefighters are engaged in a difficult battle to contain a large wildfire spreading across Britain's New Forest, a popular holiday destination. Experts predict the fight will last for several days due to changing winds and a severely desiccated landscape that fuels the flames. Smoke billowed over the A31, a main tourist route, on Tuesday evening as helicopters surveyed the scene. Fire crews are working to manage multiple hotspots across more than 247 acres of dry heathland, with concerns that the peat underneath the surface remains alight and is spreading the fire. "It is too dry, too windy, and it is a real struggle," one source at the scene reported. July marked the busiest month on record for wildfires in the UK, with the National Fire Chiefs Council reporting 966 wildfire responses this year, 458 of which occurred in July alone. The country is bracing for a potential fifth heatwave this summer, as climate breakdown exacerbates extreme heat, drought, and wildfire risks. The Met Office indicated the UK is on track for its hottest summer on record by average temperature, and nearly three-quarters of England has been officially declared to be in drought. Hampshire fire and rescue service faces challenges including water supply, difficult terrain, and shifting winds, but is attempting a large-scale attack on the blaze. Unlike some European countries, Britain does not operate dedicated water-bombing aircraft. Firefighters have been on site since Sunday evening, when a lorry fire on the A31 at Ringwood is believed to have sparked the current blaze. The Fire Brigades Union is calling for the recruitment of 5,000 additional firefighters to address the escalating challenges posed by extreme climate conditions. The New Forest, typically a summer haven for millions of tourists, has become a landscape resembling Arizona due to human-caused climate change and 59 days without rain in Hampshire. The A31 remains closed, with no estimated time for reopening.

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They are really worried that as they dampen down the top, the peat underneath is still alight and spreading the fire. It is too dry, too windy, and it is a real struggle.