Ancient trees destroyed in New Forest fire says Forestry England
It's after a van caught fire on the A31 causing widespread damage to heathland
Forestry England say a significant number of ancient trees have been destroyed as a result of a van fire on the A31.
Ancient beech and oak trees which have been standing in the New Forest for hundreds of years have been destroyed.
It's after a van caught fire on the A31 on Sunday 9th August, causing around 230 football pitches worth of heathland to be burned.
Michael Pittock, Head of Planning and Environment at Forestry England said: “It is devastating to walk around the area of the wildfire and see so much destruction especially on heathland which is such a rare and important habitat.
“A large area is damaged, but we are also very aware that without the remarkable response from the fire and emergency services it could have been so much worse.
"We are extremely grateful to them and all of the local partners and members of the community who have supported the New Forest during this difficult time.
“It will take decades for nature to fully recover but there are things we can do to help.
"Our teams will be working hard to support the area drawing on their experience of similar incidents and our ongoing restoration of heathlands across the New Forest.
"We will also be working closely with partners to support the recovery and build resilience across the Forest.”