Most of you will have heard about this Forest fire caused by a van that caught fire on the A31. Clive Chatters has written the following note to inform us of the implications for the Forest that is immediately affected.
“Whilst drafting this note (morning of 14 August), fire-crews are still on site and access is understandably restricted. What we know of the extent and nature of the fire is limited to 3rd hand reports and remote sensing. Never-the-less, this is clearly a significant event.
The response to the event by the emergency services, public bodies and Forest bodies has been admirable. A far as we know, no people have been injured, nor homes damaged. The fire is now being managed and the remedial works needed to re-open the A31 are being planned. The early recognition of the need to ensure the dual carriageway is stock-proof is welcome. A far as we know, no livestock were killed or injured by the fire. Forest ponies and cattle are familiar with fires (due to winter prescribed burning) and avoid them until the vegetation starts to regrow, at which point the sward is positively attractive to livestock.
The extent of the fire relating to the many habitat types present has yet to be established. The heaths of this plateau are relatively dry with some valley mires and humid heath. The ‘Ancient and Ornamental’ pasture woodlands of Bratley and Bratley Water fall with the area affected, but it is unclear whether the fire penetrated the woodland floor. It would be very regrettable if the fire burnt into this concentration of veteran trees.
The vegetation in this part of the Forest is relatively lightly grazed due to its remoteness from significant commoners’ holdings, the scarcity of productive lawns and the relative fragmentation of these heaths. This means the heaths tend to have taller vegetation with a far higher burden of flammable material than more close-cropped swards. In landscape terms this means tall heathers and dense swards of Purple Moor-grass. In addition, the ungrazed/ fenced corridor of the A31 had a high level of flammable material.
Fires are wholly natural phenomena in heathland landscapes. ‘Hot’ summer fires are unwelcome due to their ferocity and risk to burning into organic soils. ‘Prescribed ‘burns of the winter months play a positive role in managing the habitats /grazing and, co-incidentally in reducing summer fire risk by reducing the standing crop of flammable material and diversifying the structure of the vegetation. The Forestry England teams who design and manage prescribed burns are exemplary.
The vegetation will start regrowing once the fire has past and there is rain. There will be some species prejudiced by the fire whilst other will be beneficiaries. Whilst extensive and unwelcome, this fire is a relatively small proportion of the heaths of the Forest. Those species which don’t have fire avoidance/survival strategies will be able to recolonise naturally from the surrounding landscape.
A strategic issue to consider is how such events may be avoided in the future, ideally by supporting the commoners’ grazing regime and prescribed burns to diversify the structure of the vegetation. Without grazing, the regrowth following the fire will favour high-biomass species and add to the burden of flammable material and increase future risks.
Once the fire is extinguished and the area is made safe, it will be possible to survey the area and come to be informed assessment than these initial observations.”
Clive Chatters
Our thanks and admiration must go out to the fire fighters who have been tackling the fire and all those who have aided their work in one way or another. It is so difficult to fight a fire on rough terrain with limited access to water, they have done a commendable job.
The Fire Services remind us that:
So please take care.
Sarah Nield, Chair of the New Forest Association
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All photographs ©
Photographs courtesy: Clive Chatters, Gale Pettifer, Steve Laycock, Mike Read, Brian Tarnoff, Peter Roberts, John Ward.