Helicopter water-drop joins heathland fire response

A helicopter has been brought in as firefighters continue to fight a large heathland blaze on the Isle of Wight.

The gorse fire was first reported at Headon Warren, in the West Wight, shortly after 09:00 BST on Thursday, and is affecting a 25-hectare (62-acre) area of woodland.

Crews from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service worked overnight to extinguish the blaze using jets and hose reels and have arranged for a helicopter water-drop to reach inaccessible areas.

Additional fire appliances have been taken to the island to support the efforts to fight the fire which is on land owned by the National Trust. The public has been told to stay away.

James Lucy, incident commander for the service, said: "The teams are making really good progress."

He said the work would be ongoing throughout Friday but pointed out that the type of fire was "resource intensive and can go on for a long period of time".

"We have also enlisted air support from a helicopter, which is firefighting from the air, dropping water onto the fire, which is really positively impacting this incident," he said.

The fire service has said it is unable to confirm the cause of the fire.

Wildfire tactical advisor Larry Mackrell said the operation had been made more difficult by the challenging terrain, the remote location and its proximity to the cliff edge.

He said: "We are working closely with our fellow emergency services and the local council, as well as the National Trust, Southern Water and ferry companies, to ensure we can continue tackling this fire effectively and maintain cover across the island."

The service said local farmers had been assisting crews by using tractors to create fire breaks and help them contain the fire.

Smoke from the fire has been visible on the mainland and crews from across England's south coast have been to the island to assist with the operation.

Wightlink, which runs ferry services between Portsmouth and Lymington and the Isle of Wight, said it was assisting the fire service by transporting fire engines, which had led to some delays for passengers.

BBC reporter Mike Apps, who is at the scene, said: "The land in front of me has been completely scorched by the blaze that has ripped through here, still smouldering in some areas."

He said smoke could be seen from miles around and 10 fire engines from the mainland had travelled over to support the local efforts.

National Trust said it was supporting the fire service with its response and warned that the risk of wildfire remains "exceptionally high" in the warm, dry weather.

"We recognise that this incident will be worrying for many people across the Isle of Wight," a spokesperson said.

"Headon Warren is a much-loved and nationally important landscape.

"At this stage, however, it is too early to fully assess the impact of the fire on the site, its wildlife and habitats. Once it is safe to do so, our teams will begin assessing the area and understanding the extent of any damage."

The fire service has asked the public to avoid the area and said it was expecting to remain at the scene for the next 24 to 72 hours.