Van fire sparks wildfire on rare heathland in England's New Forest

A van fire on the A31 near Ringwood on August 9, 2026 spread into internationally protected lowland heath — a habitat the New Forest National Park Authority calls "globally rarer than rainforest." Over 120 firefighters tackled the one-square-kilometre blaze. The authority had warned that climate change is raising wildfire risks across southeast England's heathlands.