New Forest Firefighters Recall 'Apocalyptic' Van Wildfire — SkimNews
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- A wildfire in the New Forest ignited from a blazing van on the A31 on 9 August, destroying ancient oak and beech trees, rare heathland and wildlife across more than 100 hectares, according to firefighters on scene.
- Matt O'Hare, a 27-year-old retained firefighter from Fordingbridge Fire Station, described the scene as "almost apocalyptic," recalling that navigating past stopped cars and people on the A31 was itself the crew's first challenge.
- Around 130 firefighters from neighbouring counties and beyond worked the blaze at its peak during a heatwave, with a major incident declared and two weeks passing before the last crews could leave the scene.
- Retained firefighter O'Hare juggled 10-to-12-hour firefighting shifts with his day job, working 08:00 to 18:00 at a manufacturing role between deployments — a dual-commitment he said colleagues sustain because "everyone does it because they love it."
- Watch manager Shaun Lincoln, 59, called it the largest fire he had attended in 21 years, crediting "adrenaline" and "community spirit" for carrying crews through what he described as an "off the scale" incident.
- The local community responded with thank-you cards displayed on the fire station door, applause as crews returned, and deliveries of hampers, cakes and hydration drinks — gestures Lincoln said served as "a little bit of fuel for the guys coming back from a long shift."
Why it matters: The two-week containment timeline and 130-firefighter mobilization show how a single vehicle fire on a major road can overwhelm a protected ecosystem like the New Forest's ancient oak, beech, and rare heathland, especially during a heatwave. Retained firefighters like O'Hare, who logged 10–12-hour fire shifts before clocking in at day jobs, highlight how thinly stretched rural fire services are when climate-driven fires escalate.
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