Fire authority papers say the A31 blaze was the service’s largest incident, with crews dealing with a sharp rise in outdoor fires during July and August. Fire chiefs are assessing the impact of a record wildfire beside the A31 in the New Forest. The August blaze needed around 5,500 hours of firefighter time and has been described in authority papers as the largest incident ever attended by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service. At a fire and rescue authority meeting on October 8, chief financial officer Rob Sarfas said the financial impact was still being worked out, adding: “
Fire chiefs are assessing the impact of a record wildfire beside the A31 in the New Forest.
The August blaze needed around 5,500 hours of firefighter time and has been described in authority papers as the largest incident ever attended by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service.
At a fire and rescue authority meeting on October 8, chief financial officer Rob Sarfas said the financial impact was still being worked out, adding: “Some of that has been included within the forecast.”
The fire came during a busy summer for crews, with budget papers saying firefighters dealt with around 1,400 outdoor fires in July and August, including 75 classified as wildfires, a 52 per cent rise on the same period last year.
The A31 incident happened while 11 major wildfire incidents were being tackled elsewhere in the UK, and it also followed another major fire at Headon Warren on the Isle of Wight.
The authority has asked the government for help with part of the response and is checking whether emergency funding can be used, with a further update due later this year.
By Natalia Forero - Local Democracy Reporter
