New Forest District Council is continuing to support the multi-agency response to the ongoing A31 fire affecting heathland in the New Forest. 

The council is working with emergency services and partner organisations to help keep communities informed, support the response, and monitor any impact on residents, visitors, businesses and council services. 

Cllr Jill Cleary, NFDC Leader, said:  

“My thanks and gratitude go to everyone working tirelessly to respond to this incident, keep our communities safe, and minimise the impact on our unique environment and wildlife. 

“The emergency services are continuing to work hard on the ground, supported by council teams and other New Forest partners as the response continues. This is a challenging situation, and the continued cooperation between all the organisations involved is hugely important. 

“Our role as the local council is to support the emergency response, help protect our communities and ensure we are prepared to respond if circumstances change. Our officers are working alongside partners, monitoring the situation and any potential impact on residents, businesses, and council services, while continuing to share the latest advice and information from the lead agencies. 

“The New Forest is a very special place, and the heathland affected by this fire is internationally important, supporting rare wildlife and habitats. The damage is deeply concerning, and I know the priority for everyone involved is to bring the fire under control as safely as possible and protect this precious part of the Forest."

Behind the scenes, NFDC officers have been supporting the response both on site and remotely, acting as a link between the incident control team, emergency planning colleagues and council services. While the fire service continues to lead the incident response, this coordination role helps ensure the council can respond quickly and support communities if the situation changes. 

Cllr Cleary continued,  

“I would like to thank residents and visitors for their patience and cooperation. I know the road closures and disruption are having an impact, but it is vital that people continue to follow advice from the emergency services, avoid the affected area, and allow those responding to the incident to do their work safely. 

“I am grateful to our staff working behind the scenes to support the response and maintain essential council services, while helping to reduce any potential disruption for residents, businesses and visitors. 

“While the immediate focus remains on supporting the live response, we are also working with partners to plan for the recovery that will be needed once the incident has been brought under control, including support for affected communities, services, access routes and the local environment. 

“We will continue to support our partners and our communities throughout the response and will provide further information as the situation develops.” 

Updates and advice from the emergency services and lead agencies will continue to be shared through official channels as the situation develops