Headon Warren Wildfire Finally Extinguished After Five-Day Firefighting Operation

A major wildfire at Headon Warren has been extinguished after burning for five days and requiring support from fire crews across five different services.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the blaze, which started shortly after 9am on Thursday, has now been brought under control after affecting around nine hectares of land.

Firefighters will remain at the West Wight beauty spot today (Monday) and tomorrow to carry out further checks, monitor for any remaining hotspots and recover equipment with the help of local farmers.

Members of the public are being asked to continue avoiding the area while those operations take place.

The response involved crews from Hampshire & Isle of Wight, Avon, Devon & Cornwall, Dorset & Wiltshire, and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Services, making it one of the largest multi-agency wildfire responses seen on the Isle of Wight.

Specialist equipment used during the operation included high-volume pumps drawing water from the sea, all-terrain wildfire vehicles and a helicopter which carried out multiple water drops to help contain the flames.

The National Trust has warned the landscape at Headon Warren will take time to recover following the damage caused by the fire.

The area is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, with much of the land owned and managed by the National Trust.

With warm and dry conditions continuing, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service is reminding people that the risk of wildfires remains high.

A spokesperson for the fire service said:

"Thank you to residents, visitors, local farmers, and all those who supported the firefighting response."