By Alison Barnes, New Forest National Park Authority Chief Executive and Business South Director
At the peak of this summer’s heatwave, on Sunday 9 August, a van caught fire on the A31 through the New Forest National Park.
Fanned by strong winds and record temperatures, the blaze spread rapidly to neighbouring heathland.
Although partner organisations had prepared for a wildfire, including through a tabletop exercise only weeks earlier, the conditions created exceptional challenges. Despite heroic efforts, the fire devastated 1.6km2 of habitat.
Why was the impact so great?
The New Forest National Park is a world capital for wildlife, with a rare mix of habitats supporting around 23,000 species. Lowland heath is now rarer globally than rainforest and takes decades to develop; the New Forest contains the most extensive remaining area in Europe.
The affected area was home to many nationally and internationally rare species, including all six UK reptiles, specialist insects, plants and heathland birds such as Dartford warblers and nightjars. It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a stronghold for smooth snakes, the UK’s rarest reptile.
Some internationally important pasture woodland of ancient beech and oak trees was also destroyed. Heathland can recover to some level over time, but the loss of ancient trees is permanent.
The human impact was considerable too. For Commoners, local communities and everyone who loves and cares for the Forest, seeing it ablaze felt deeply distressing. The A31 was closed for nearly two weeks during one of the busiest periods of the year, disrupting Commoners’ animals, travel and local businesses. Diversions prevented visitors reaching some businesses, with several reporting trade down by around 50%, some businesses were forced to close during those two weeks and some future bookings were cancelled.
A community-wide response
Our thanks go to the emergency services and firefighters who travelled from across the country to tackle the incident, as well as Forestry England, councils, volunteer agencies, businesses and local communities who supported the multi-agency response.
National Park Authority colleagues helped where they could: rangers supported closures and diversions on roads, car parks and trails; we worked with campsites to reduce wildfire risk while the Forest was on red alert; and we shared updates on smoke, road diversions and ways to support local businesses.
Looking forward
The loss of rare species and biodiversity is devastating. It also affects the Forest’s delicate ecological balance and reduces grazing land for Commoners’ animals. Recovery to some level is possible, but it will take many years, and some features of mature heathland may take decades to return. Where local populations of rare species have been badly affected, recovery may be slow or uncertain.
This wildfire underlines the need to build resilience and adaptation to climate change, which is bringing hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters. That resilience matters for businesses, communities and the precious landscapes of the central south. It is essential if we are to achieve both a world-class environment and a world-class economy.
With Sustainability South, we are planning a joint Green Halo Partnership Conference in February to explore resilience, adaptation and response to climate change and why larger, interconnected systems of wildlife and human networks are vital. We hope you will join us.