FE Update CP September 2026
Summary
AI generated summary
Forestry England’s September 2026 update to a consultative panel outlines a major heathland wildfire that started from a vehicle fire on the A31 and spread rapidly. A multi-agency response kept fire services on site for two weeks, with more than 100 hectares of heathland and woodland damaged and recovery expected to take decades. Forestry England staff supported operations around the clock by managing access, cutting new firebreaks, supplying water and damping down, monitoring for hotspots after crews left, and closing car parks and patrolling for public safety. Enforcement action was needed after repeated BBQ use during high risk conditions, and campsites temporarily banned cooking equipment and BBQs. The fire destroyed vegetation, rare pillwort, soil seed banks, and many ancient beech and oak trees, while some bogs limited spread. Recovery plans include using local heather cuttings to protect and reseed soils and expanding wetland restoration to improve drought and flood resilience.
Document Viewer
Consultative Panel
Forestry England Update
Sept 2026
Richard Burke
Head of Land Management, Forestry England
Heathland Wildfire
- Began with a vehicle fire on the A31 and quickly spread to become a major wildfire incident
- Multi-agency response with incredible support from the fire service and close collaboration across partner agencies.
- Fire services on site for 2 weeks
- Damaged over 100 hectares of heathland and woodland
- The areas will take several decades to recover
Wildfire – Our Team
- On site 24 x 7 supporting the fire service
- Access and navigations across the Forest
- Cutting additional fire breaks as the fire direction evolved
- Water bowsers and damping down
- Remained onsite after the fire service had left to check for hot spots
- Car park closures and public patrols for public safety
- PSPO enforcement – several incidents of BBQ use despite the highly risk
Wildfire – Our Team
- Managing additional fire incident including several at Bolton’s Bench
- Liaising closely with other key agencies regarding arson risk
- Forestry England owned campsites – temporary ban on cooking equipment and BBQs during in line with the level of risk.
- Wildlife rescue supported by our staff and ARC volunteers
Wildfire - Ecological impact
- Large sections of heathland burnt removing all vegetation including heathers, gorse and pillwort, a rare plant found in the New Forest.
- Burning deep into the ground the fire has eradicated layers of seed banks under the soils.
- A significant number of ancient beech and oak trees destroyed as the fire penetrated their root systems.
- Bogs in the area partially destroyed but some remain intact and helped to stop the fire spreading further.
Wildfire - Recovery
- We are now working on plans to help the affected landscape to recover
- Drawing on considerable experience of restoring areas affected by fire including the large-scale heathland fire in Wareham, Dorset in May 2020.
- The site is very close to another area of forest damaged by a fire almost 40 years ago which has now been restored
- We plans to use cuttings from heather at this site to create a protective layer over the affected area to help the soils recover and reseed the site.
Future resilience
- Building in future resilience
- Plans to boost our ongoing programme of wetland restoration
- Helping the forest to retain more water in the summer and prolonged periods of drought.
- Ensuring it hold onto water in the winter and periods of prolonged wet weather – slowing the flow down stream and supporting the natural ecology of the flood plain and surrounding areas.
Thank you